The Trinity
by GrayZeppelin
Summary: A trio of pain, hatefulness, and betrayal unveil their rough courses to seek clemency, but their lives depend on their judgments. The Dragon Warrior's colleague encounters hallucinations to decipher his drawings while his adversary's disciple leads retaliation. Unearthing mysteries deliver high costs of hope and deceivability. (The Mightiest Warriors, Book Two)
1. The Birthday

**Hello everyone! GrayZeppelin here, and thank you for coming up checking out my newest book of all the challenges I must do! **

**It's a redemption/friendship/horror fic to focus on not only your favorite villain who is your soulmate, but the other two will join up in the game. I like to have all three in this book! **

**Heads up, this is the Mightiest Warriors **_**sequel **_**after A New Prophecy! If you have not opened the book and don't want to get spoiled, you are missing out on a lot of action!**

**This one is a challenging fic to gather all three supervillains (although all **_**dead**_** in the canon trilogy) unite with Jade Palace masters and my OCs! But in fanfiction, we want three of them alive, right?! So let's get to chapter one, and have fun!**

_**To my grandmother, Rosalba, who raises me to be a respective **_**El Nieto**_**(**__the __grandson__**) and part of the family. And my cousins, Jackie and Rebecca, as my sisters, we grew each other for encouragement and love.**_

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Kung Fu Panda: The Trinity

THE MIGHTIEST WARRIORS, BOOK TWO

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**_Volume I: A Visitor_**

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_Chapter I_

_The Birthday_

Her body went a sudden jolt. Her fur absorbed with sweat and dripped on the bamboo bed and light brown sheet. She had another dream again, breathing heavily and inaudibly when widening at the shoji ceiling. Calming with cold breath entering her warm throat, Tigress shut her amber orbs in a deep, long sigh. Bending forward, the alpha of the Furious Five looked around her shoji room that painted with deep ocean and light blossom as if the morning was yet climbing slowly from the eastern horizon. Why waking up again before the Masters of Jade Palace? What caused her visioning the trance that horrified Tigress after the tragic battle of Gongmen City?

She stroked her soft and fluffy neck, previously sore from the Prince of Darkness, who returned from the Desolation of Qing Temple. And he raided China's essential sanctuary in East China where peafowls originated the prosperous city, made fireworks as their creation of colorful sparks to them, and deathly weapons to the albino himself. China had changed. Many, including her, experienced the wrath of Prince Huoju's inevitable war: staggering, ambitious, fear.

Opening the shoji door after dressing her red sleeveless vest and black pants without disturbing, Tigress wandered out of her room and checked every door and shoji paper. The corridor made sleepy noises — serene melodies of snores impacted on her ears. One pulled her smirk with a hum Tigress approached to the front shoji room and slightly opened a gap. Only the loudest one in the Student Barrack was her closest friend. Her best friend, the black and white bear, and smaragdine eyes. Of course, the panda has that booming snore! Not one, or any of the Five could hear him while in half sleep and deep trance!

Her mind sparkled like a light bulb inside of her forehead as if the Dragon Warrior and Furious Five were not alone. Tigress ambled toward the next shoji room beside Po's room. The space within behind the door had not tuned like no other warriors' sleepy noises. She pulled the handle to the right, peeking at whoever perched on the bamboo bed itself.

It was white - a pale white figure with red and black train and crests in a long white garment. Lined gray silk, you adore soft and comfortable dressing your clothes on. Watery trim sleeve edges. And pale phoenix bird behind his robe. The albino sat on the bed, feathers bond on both sides of his body, his eyes peacefully shut; Tigress could notice this peacock comforted in his sleep. She hated him living here — not even the pandas, nor Masters of Jade Palace (except Po).

Why letting the peacock occupy Jade Palace? The Emperor of China decided Lord Shen to seek his clemency. Huangdi vowed Shen's parents' will letter to pardon their son's pandemonium crime and inherit Prince Dongji (Lord Feng and Lady Muqin's grandson) as the Lord of Gongmen. The panda craved the idea that having Shen by Po's side, was to enter the light and must find the path to inner peace. Peace was Shen's crucial role; even he had not seen the light during his exile and dark times.

For the Emperor's order: Let Lord Shen occupy with the Dragon Warrior in Jade Palace. Despite his crime after pardoned, the former Lord of Gongmen could meet his son and wife at Gongmen City on part-time of three weeks, or three times to see his family in the Tower of the Holy Flame (rebuilt and renamed after Sacred Flame).

The feline went over to the Barrack's dining room. Kindling the jade candle in the middle of the mahogany table, Tigress started a small fire underneath the metal grill and placed a black teapot after filling up the water. She gathered plenty of chopped leaves that wrapped with white bags. Putting five teabags when the water quietly boils, Tigress let the fire die out and poured the tea on her pale mug with cobalt flowers.

"Tigress?" a bright tone called the student behind from the pathway in a stunning moment.

She recognized her master's voice. Unexpectedly hearing, Tigress swiveled. Red panda with blue eyes in a brown robe and jade shawl arrived. "You woke early." Shifu figured with a soft smirk.

Tigress bowed, and Shifu returned his particular manner. "Master. It happened again. Another nightmare," she told her master.

"Let us walk. Bring a tea with you," Shifu pointed the mug and the teapot.

They sauntered out of the Student Barrack and into the path road they found. Grasses were silk, and brown dirt brushed against their hardened feet. Yards later, Shifu and Tigress inclined the sloping cliff, brought their smile as if their eyes never miss this natural tree where their tortoise grandmaster planted it. Shortly, they sat ahead in between the cliff and Sacred Peace tree, sipping their green tea. Their hot tea sunk through their throats, both warriors hummed in calmness as nature whispered from the sun singing and soaring out of the horizon.

Shifu and Tigress were used sitting in silence before, during after training, and now two months after Huoju's wrath in Gongmen City. Despite her knowing the red panda for many years, she became what Tigress not only as of the weapon but trained harder along with the four of Furious Five members, even the Dragon Warrior.

"You used to come here many times after your training, and enhanced your discipline," the red panda chuckled. "During weekends, you meditate with Po."

Shifu smirked at her adoptive daughter. Tigress continued watching the morning sun that it kissed it's cherry and dawn lights at green sceneries and tall mountains. "What troubles you, Tigress?" Shifu asked.

"My dream has started since after the Gongmen Battle, Shifu," her eyes met the reflection of her tea, watching her figure of stripes and the crown. "I felt bizarre. The trance struck me about three times, three times I had to glimpse what I just saw, questioning myself about me who I met two before."

The red panda buzzed his throat from sipping and swallowing his hot, green tea. "What was the dream of yours look like?" Shifu asked.

She took the time of her concentration, only shutting her ambers could focus on describing. It was rare when you can recall what you encounter your dream and witness what you experienced the situation before awakening in reality.

"There were two forms wore yellow garments and hooded cloaks. They walked ahead of the front wooden door and dropped their child they held," Tigress clarified after sipping her tea. "I know the face of myself and the infant I once was. I could not explain what surroundings felt wet on my back and cold around my head—" she glanced at her master's heaven eyes. Tigress's lips pressed gently. "— Something that the memory absorbs and returns where I could see my parents, I never recognize them. After the woman's grief who held her paw and the other stroked my cheek—"

Her eyes stung a little from the glimpse of fire and dawn ahead of Tigress. Shutting her ambers, Tigress immediately looked at her memory harder. "That Ox warlord with four arms, giant horns, red eyes, and a nasty battle scar from the Spirit Realm, strangled me. The one who attacked the stadium and raided Gongmen City with his army, he visioned a fate where I could have burnt alive in front of him."

The red panda watched his adoptive daughter within the bubble next to Xing and the Prince of Darkness, in horror. "Something from his hoof struck the ash, and inside me prevented burning alive." Tigress proceeded, conceivable as she still felt the lock on Huoju's hoof clench on her neck as always in pain. "Once snapping his finger, I woke."

"The monster is gone now, Tigress. Your dreams have the essential from the first, and the other is a nightmare." Shifu said, actively calm, he met his student's honey eyes crumble to embers. "Whether your parents are alive or not, they want you to continue your life forward without looking back. You know it's true. However, their lives have gone into a terrible place, and dreadful concerns, both your mother and father, wanted you to occupy a better life instead. For now, you have your nephew Xing, and your aunt Ming. _They_ are your family."

Memories were the importance of many experiences you ventured what only records are misery, love, anger, and happiness. The caretakers just found the infant child lied in front of the door. There was no note pinned on the sides of the pathway (or their child). Neither both tiger parents ever sighted in the presence ahead of the caretakers. The only questions: What are her parents? Who were they? And _why _leaving their daughter to Bao Gu Orphanage?

Following the masters' advice, Tigress nodded before her lips pressed against the edge of the mug, sipping the cup. "Other things puzzle me, Master." Shifu's ears flipped up from Tigress's concerned voice. "Why is the Dragon Warrior teaching inner peace to that peacock who raided the panda village?"

"Po had chosen Shen to manifest his forgiveness. It was the Emperor's call not able to exile former Lord of Gongmen, but to pardon his crime and occupy here with Po." the red panda master pointed in reasonable. "Not all the masters like us have to agree to Huangdi's unanimous decision. Though, he and Shen were once closest friends as soon as I discovered the Emperor who spoke to me in the Kung Fu Council. The only unanimous call was Shen's parents; they wrote their final words to promise Huangdi."

"Promise for what, Master?" she asked him monotonously.

"To let Lord Shen live."

Deep inside her, the fire had warmed her heart. Still, on the outside, Tigress masked her aggression from going defiance and unreasonable. Perhaps, the only change was to see the peafowl progressing and where his personality could go. A second thought made Tigress concerned more. "What about Tai Lung?" she inquired, considering. "About my brother living here. Can you _redeem _him from himself doing the next terrible thing he will turn back on us, Master?"

The red panda master's lips held back from Tigress's big question. Interestingly, however, his second student peered him close for a moment. "You _concern _him," she noticed.

_I _do_, Tigress. We both know Tai Lung can do anything trickster. He is my son - I cannot control him._ Shifu thought. Eying on Tigress's amber eyes from the dawn's cherry light, the red panda went on. "I made him a weapon where his success was to protect the Valley of Peace and all of China after training twenty years for him to become the Dragon Warrior," he explained, placing his tea and small plate ahead of his rug after sipping. "Oogway sought my son's heart, perceiving Tai Lung's destiny that wherever my student went on the wrong path, and my old master prevented his entitlement reasonably."

_Tai might do the same thing if necessary. _She reflected wisely. _If he genuinely seeks his forgiveness, then I only have to trust Po, who can also change him with Shen._

Their lips were held, surveying the beauty horizon as the morning was hard to miss. "What shall we do now, Master?" she asked him. "While you are retiring for many years, can Po, or one of the Five teach Tai Lung?"

"Po _watches _Lord Shen. None of the Five will, but…"

This word "_But_" was the only suspicious concern, thinking of the conversations that depend on how things may or may not turn out. _But _what_? _Tigress suspiciously thought. Rising from the Peach Tree behind him, Shifu approached and held his paw toward her's.

"You can," he told her. "After many years for you to train and become the next triumph, thanks to Oogway's vision of Po, you can educate your brother. Show him about the prevention of war and _love_."

Tigress opened her lips. Shaking her head in disagreeable, Shifu's daughter froze her back as if she thought to reject, but the master gazed Tigress's amber eyes. "It is the _only_ way. He and I are emotional when Tai Lung sought my eyes and humiliated himself."

_Tai lives here for almost two months after Huoju's defeat, and I am aware of his tricker move. Every movement I see his arms and legs, he could attack the palace. Attack my friends and me. Attack Shifu, and my Po…  
_

_I wanted to disagree. Shifu is my master, and I have to _do_ his side without any objection._

Without further ado to reject, Tigress slowly bent her head, and eyes closed at once.

Moments passed on for both Tigress and Shifu strolled on the Masters Garden. Monuments stood on both sides as every famous master looked directly to their eyes. Ahead, Tigress glanced at her reptile grandmaster who smirked at the whole garden and palace, a life of plants and flowers grew across the trees and grasses.

"As for this lovely day, Tigress," Shifu beamed, clasping both paws ahead of his belly. "It is the Dragon Warrior's birthday today."

The gong bell struck its morning bell. The morning had no longer painted with roses in the sky. Now sketched with cheese and tangerine touching on the land of prospering village, including the greenish mountains. "WHOOOOOO!" A cheerful echo from the Student Barrack turned Tigress and Shifu. Both masters chuckled.

"You are not the only one hearing his excitement," Tigress grinned, paws clasping behind her back.

"Po had done that for thirteen times, _every _year and one excitement," he nodded, looking back at Tigress. "We have the training to do. Around afternoon through midnight, we celebrate Po."

Strolling forward on the stone stairs, Shifu rose his ears from Tigress's voice. "Father."

The red panda missed and sometimes being called _father_, once in Tigress's young age before and after training. He rotated and clasped his paws. "Yes?" Shifu grinned.

"I could not remember which day was when I was born," she stated, ambling forward in five steps. "Many of you know your birthdays—" Tigress hesitated; her head sunk and eyes met the stones, " — I do not know _mine_."

Even in Shifu's eyes dazzled before approaching Tigress. "I do."

Her eyes rose. "You do?" she asked lightly.

"When you came out and walk with me to Jade Palace. Thirty years," Shifu delighted. "It's on _this _day." She could hear his silvery chuckle — it was good to hear his laugh as Tigress sometimes heard him chuckling. To him, reminding the young cub how she began a little girl who most of the caretakers called her a monster, anger was unfortunate — controlling her mind was one thing, as the other, her physical was _divine_.

Tigress returned her curling lips as she bent her knee toward Shifu. "Happy birthday, Tigress," the red panda blessed her, folding both arms around Tigress's neck. "My lovely daughter."

She returned a hug to him.

* * *

The prosperous village of the Valley of Peace dazzled by the horizon of morning light of a pale yellow. Many people grew their strengths and woke from their serenity dreams and roaming across the streets and alleyways. This heart of the home where villagers occupied rebuilt their houses and apartments, just as after their ambush presence since two months earlier before the Prince of Darkness's defeat in Gongmen City.

Needless, the elder goose cooking people's preference for ramen pasta noodles, Mr. Ping's adoptive son devoured one hundred dumplings. Especially this "secret ingredient" soup as the Dragon Warrior drunk and sipped fats of the pasta, he could not ignore the bright, juicy flavor that melted your tongue. His whole head flattened with his two massive arms on the table, as if more than bowls placed on one side toward his right.

The panda's stomach growled. "That felt good," Po sighed. "My paws hungered for justice."

"_Justice_?" the elder voice grew his voice ahead of the panda. "What kind of the panda who nearly devoured a hundred dumplings, and titled the word 'justice'?"

"That's the inquiry, buddy," Po said, rising his big head and glimmered with smaragdine orbs. He scanned the eyes of a pale white bird with red train, and crimson eyes bent his whole head confusingly. "You gotta make some muses of humor!"

"I am _humorless_," Shen spoke, sipping a noodle with the wooden spoon on his beak. "You and your companions have — _childish_ minds as I do not. Especially this — room of yours, you never stop talking about it."

The panda's jade eyes blazed. "Ha!"

"Is there a word from my son?" Lord Shen asked, sipping his mug. Hot green tea soothed his throat.

"I wrote my letter about four days ago, Shen," Po answered. "Lao should receive it, and his letter will deliver today."

"Oh, Po!" The elder goose echoed his adoptive son behind Po.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Here's the rest of your birthday wishes from all of China!" the old goose heaved the mail cart beside his adoptive son. The brown bag had wrapped with red strings. "Here, Master Ox wishes you a beautiful present. He gives you _this_."

The panda pulled the ribbon - the brown bag spread its sides. The garment had matched the exact complex of these details the panda, and many masters sought the legendary kung fu master. Master Thundering Rhino dressed the council robe: white robe with a gold waistband, long gray coat with black trim, yellow ocean, and flared-up shoulders.

"That looks like Master Thundering Rhino's counsel robes!" Po gasped wondrously, maintaining his fine new robes. "That looks awesome! I gotta try it on tonight!"

"Master Ox discerns you are Master Rhino's fan." Lord Shen bent his left eye, nodding. Like the look he glanced at the robes, his eyes slowly glanced — the glimpse of Thundering Rhino who heaved his cloud hammer with a defensive stance, the spark, and a cannon boomed in front of Shen. Memories still _followed_ within his head, as far as the rest of painful memories grew repetitive, which anyone was daring to step ahead of the albino.

"Here, my precious customer! You want some more noodles?"

Lord Shen quickly shook from the distraction. The question was no interruption, but the goose politely and adequately asked the former Lord of Gongmen. "No need, Mr. Ping," the albino smirked at the old goose beside him, manifesting his feathers press on his belly. "My appetite _improves_. Thank you."

"Dad, have you seen _Dad_?" Po inquired his goose father, nicely folding his council robes before wrapping a brown cover in it and handed to his father's crate.

"Li is still harvesting crops, son," he replied, brushing his son's silky, black fur. "He'll return around dusk."

As Mr. Ping moved on when pushing the cooking crate and gathering plates, somewhere behind Po flipped the wings. Both Shen and Po glanced where the landing and sigh came from the Noodle Restaurant entrance, and the gray goose in cobalt robe entered. "Whoa! You must be the Nine's messenger!" Po got up from the wooden, lengthy chair. "Good morning, Kong!"

"Good morning, Dragon Warrior, and Lord Shen," The Nine's Messenger Kong greeted. He dug his small bag and handed a scroll with _The Nine_ emblem of water. "This letter is from the Nine's Leader."

"Great!" Po smiled, his fingers locking the scroll he pulled the dried wax pin. "Looks like Xing handled the Weeping River attack with his friends last week. Remember Shifu told us about that place where the Five went there before, Shen?"

"I have."

"The Nine handled the buffalo clans which they nearly killed the villagers, and—"

Po's eyes caught peering, stopping in the middle of the paragraphs. "What is it, panda?" Shen rose his silky, black eyebrows.

The panda stretched his head toward Xing's script. For a few seconds, his green eyes around pupils brightened. "Oh, I see his point."

The albino sipped another round of green tea. "Something unusual?" he inquired interestingly.

"My buddy questions what he used his raw ability of White Dragon in him," Po noted the albino, rolling the envelope. "He needs help to discover this… _frightening _power. It protects him from harm, and even for those who attack Xing."

"Your chi concludes enemies, panda," Shen informed the panda in a reasonable talk, standing and tucking his feathers in long, silk sleeves. "This 'white dragon' _kills _bandits and Huoju's forces. Do you propose disciplining Xing's ability, even if the power inside him denies controlling itself?"

The panda reached out his yuans and lay it next to Shen's empty bowl and a wooden cup. "I can help Xing," the panda said. "As soon as I can spar him a little, Shifu and I must interrogate how white dragon awakes and protects him."

Both Shen and Po strolled out of the Noodle Restaurant, the sun beaming among the heavens. The Nine's Messenger followed beside the panda. "Xing might have born into something brilliant and dangerous that someone or something became pure as the _fifth_ Mightiest Warrior. If this Goddess created elements of earth, fire, wood, and water while Oogway forged his light, has she ever made this _metal _element? Like the white dragon that can demolish dark forces?"

"Good questions," Po shrugged; he, Shen, and Kong arrived at the pavement bridge. "Whoever placed the awesomeness ability in Xing's body, it should be something really cool that can help with Mightiest Warriors to hunt evil armies and salvage China. The weird thing is that Xing can sense my feelings, even _yours_ truly. You'll see why."

The peacock brushed his beak above his neck. "I wonder…" Shen pondered.

"Okay, Kong. I'll write Xing back right now. The Kung Fu training is still on a schedule."

"No need to rush, Dragon Warrior," the Nine's Messenger gestured, grinning. "Patience is the key."

_You are right._ Shen thought of Kong's actual words. For a moment, they passed through the light brown pavement road, the villagers waving and crying elsewhere they cheered the Dragon Warrior's birthday, including the presence of the People's Hero. Panda villagers giggled in front of the three, the cubs chasing other children they tagged and naively laughed.

Strolling close to the stairway, Lord Shen glanced at the pandiva clans, their fans covered in half as only their eyes dazzled. One of the pandiva clans did not.

As the ladies commemorated the Dragon Warrior's presence, the panda in deep pink and red robes and blue sash waist gave a slight grin to Po. As the other beside Po, her smirk had faded, when eying at this _warlord monster_ who murdered pandas everyone knew.

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_Author's Notes: _

_I do not know what Tigress's age is, but I can put around Po's age to be sure. If not, remind me in the reviews or PM to correct me, and I will handle some mistakes. To make things clear: This chapter starts to gain Po and Shen's conversation, as the other for Tigress and Shifu concern our clouded leopard buddy. We all love the panda and peacock's friendship.  
_

_Forgive me when Kai and Tai Lung are not around but don't you worry! You will know soon enough in future chapters, including our badass one-eyed wolf friend, to focus on my boy Xing. See you in the next! _

_Punch them Review, Follow, and Favorite if you gangs love it so far! Tell me, what do you guys think? Be honest!  
_


	2. The Drawings

**Friendships always go to the beginning through the end as a hidden message will reflect the meaning of my fic. The horror approaches at random chapters, which will go for minor fear and brief disturbances! We'll have to be wary **_**at all times**_**!**

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**Volume One: A Visitor**

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_Chapter II_

_The Drawings_

The white tiger hated the scar — all over his right eye refused to maul. He would only get use of this nasty scratch, which the four-armed warlord almost ripped his good right eye. Instead, the tear among his eyes and right cheek would last forever, even when slowly healing like the turtle's pace. He did not like getting mauled, nothing but the rest of the soldiers do have battle scars to tell the tale. As for his, the only scar Xing could say to the story of his wound.

The white tiger dressed his cobalt silk uniform and black pants.

His red bow stashed on the left side of his room, crafted with Mongolian fires. The quiver held on its wrap on the nail mounted on a thick, wooden structure behind him. These were a gift as Wolf Boss (Lotus's father) gave both to him, which meant of Xing's extraordinary skill that no one could precise the shooting for two weeks. The regular archery training took years to be an accurate bow archer, depending on how you experience.

A slow, slide door opened after Xing adequately dressed. "Is everything okay?" the scratchy, calm tone asked the white tiger. A one-eyed wolf broke his grin.

The presence from one-eyed wolf gave the tiger serene without fisting against the structure (which you could be going crazy when a nightmare did hurt you inside). "Yeah. It was only a dream," Xing smiled to the wolf.

Zhong rolled his head to curiosity. "Terrible?" Wolf Boss wandered.

"Not entirely," he answered. Stepping out of his room, Xing strode into the Nine's Hall along with the one-eyed Wolf who armed behind the tiger's neck. "You slept well, Zhong?"

"Nothing much to glimpse any of horrors," Zhong said, his voice seemed silvery that mixed honey and tea absorbing his social approval. His thought deepened him a bit more; the former commander continued. "Only battle cries they sang over my head."

"The cries bother you the most, sir," the white tiger's monotonous tone suspected the wolf's agony, contemplating more than a hundred wolves howling and barking at the moon, then shattered bangs which slaughtered _most_, left with only survivors. "Dwelling the past could shed your heart."

There's no denying how this white tiger feast small memories, including the inside, you may not hide it - a possible mind absorbing the feelings you shared. "My daughter knows how you feel anyone's perception." Wolf Boss determined.

"Yeah, that's me sharing the empathy, especially this _thing_ inside me felt it," Xing gestured his chest.

"Does that _thing_ bother you?" he inquired tenderly.

This _thing_ the tiger described was his only avatar, one dragon called _Mind of Metal_, or another known to those who witnessed the powerful creature along with the Mightiest Warriors, the White Dragon. It had been quiet for two weeks past. Ever since the ending battle of Gongmen City, along with the defeat of the Prince of Darkness, Xing feared that his avatar could awake more, without knowing how you could exactly remember where you were.

For a few weeks, the reports from Golden Temple had one of the Emperor's generals witnessed white creature soaring within reach of the tall mountains beyond the north, and even close to the eastern land of the Valley of Peace. Xing thought of the _thing_ inside him, could awake without disturbing the tiger. Strange, perhaps.

"Nothing yet," Xing replied, strolling ahead of the front door hall. The doorway had crafted with deep brown mahogany; many sides detailed water waves, which the Nine's Shui Palace meant as a water monastery. So as Jade Palace as _jade_, you could see the difference of any school or palace's decorative elements or symbols along with ancient creatures.

The white tiger and one-eyed wolf reached outside of the Shui Palace. The square platform had filled eight of ancient Wing Chun models, the weapons of wood for beginners and blades for professional stashing at the far left corner of the courtyard. "So, are you ready to practice Wing Chun?" Xing patted Zhong's shoulder.

"Two words: Hell yeah." Wolf Boss rotated his neck that popped five over him, then his paws crushing with more pops and stretched while he chuckled sinisterly. "I cannot wait to kick your fluffy cheeks. Lotus said you purred at night when she brushed your cheeks."

The white tiger blazed his stone ocean eyes, gaping. "Oh, really? Challenge accepted." Xing elbowed the wolf's shoulder.

* * *

Many hours gave in.

Amid this boundary, the Valley of Peace has a prospering land where the village from the west many villagers called it home. The Prosper Valley — A neighborhood village you could walk or ride on the vessel to the east toward the Valley of Peace for ten miles. The Masters of Jade Palace's official class partnership, The Fellowship of the Nine, they too became the village's guardians, vowed as the Prosper Valley's defenders beyond the borders of the town.

The Nine of five jogged across the light cinnamon cobble road. From the sides and second-story apartments, the villagers cried, their paws and hooves waving at their guardian masters. Behind the Nine, their one-eyed student let his tongue out, panting heavily during twenty laps sprint. "Keep up, sir!" the white tiger teased, breaking his lips.

Wolf Boss grunted under his soft throat. Both lungs of his spread the tense warm. Most of his fur swarmed with sweat, absorbing mild cold within. _This boy!_ Wolf Boss thought. Both of his feet skidded to a halt, his breath engulfing and panting.

Moments went on after jogging within the next ten laps. The challenge had yet escalated even more than intimidating. "Sum Lum Tao!" the Nine's Leader Xing announced.

The first level of Wing Chun form was essential to recall the importance of blocking and attacking. The mind was your distraction; you went where you face difficult times you face, a long day ahead of you, whether good or bad — leave them behind, and let yourself go forward.

The Nine remained their chin stance, their right paws pulling toward their chests as they followed the white tiger's motion. Slowly heave forward, open, revolve your wrist, and pull. Rinse and repeat thrice or four times. In amid of pulling, their fists struck.

"HAA!" Wolf Boss launched his straight fist.

"Good. Perfect, Zhong." Xing approached the wolf, who guarded both paws down than all four. The tiger guided both hands in the exact position of Zhong's head, and his left open-paw separated about an inch from his other arm. "Always keep your guard up," Xing advised him. "The bandits could ring a bell."

"Ding—dong, Xing!" Wolf Boss revealed his sharp teeth, grinning.

Moments went by, one by one, the Nine face their training opponent.

The gorilla Bao maneuvered his forearms into a circle, as the other followed the guidance. Xing forearmed the ape's launching fist forward; his paw swiveled the hand down and struck at the same time. Each of them rotated their striking and blocking. As Bao made his effective defense while bending his waist to strike, Xing countered under the bridge, palming the ribcage.

Bao and Xing manifested Wolf Boss with this _chi sao_ block. As once told, the deflection is like the attack. Another basic strategy: one arm deflects against the opponent's arm. Xing bridged a _tan sao_ (open palm deflection), to the lupine's wrist Wolf Boss thrust. As Xing hit forward, Zhong guarded his open-palm vertical (_fook sao_) to feline's paw. _Oh, I got it!_ Wolf Boss grinned.

"My turn." Xing challenged.

For a moment, their wrists connected to a circular motion. Not as simple to the beginners, Wolf Boss eyed on his feline teacher who softly circulated the wolf's forearms. One fast fist launched to Wolf Boss's upper chest. "Wuh-oh!" he stunned. His black ears perched up by his daughter's high chortle. Lotus covered her lips. "Er—I _yield_?"

Xing wickedly smirked. "That's too early," the white tiger hummed. "Pak sao!"

With average speed to the tiger's bicycle punches, Wolf Boss deflected the sides of Xing's wrists. Many precise edgy hand deflections, Wolf Boss bridged (bong-sao) while pivoting his body to the left — he hammered the feline's paw and the other back-knuckling near Xing's muzzle. As Xing blocked the knuckle, the lupine swiveled the arms down — the open palm and fist clouted Xing's jaw and upper chest.

The Nine swallowed their surprising inspiration. One of the beginner blocks made Zhong trick Xing's determination. Did the tiger let his opponent go easy? Let the father win for his son or daughter!

Motioning his jaw, Xing chuckled; Wolf Boss swallowed his apple throat in horror, masking the fear as he smirked. "That felt good." Xing nodded. "And one more thing."

In a short puzzle from Zhong, Xing hastily caught the wrist, his right foot mopping behind the wolf's ankle, bowling him back. The tiger's fist clouted about an inch of Zhong's ribcage and did the bicycle punches near his muzzle, resulting in a nasty defeat. Lotus covered her startling lips. "Never _hesitate _in front of your opponent. I let you go easy during chi sao. The next will be _challenging_."

Even while training or in circumstantial situations as you fight the smart or weak, don't let your hopes level your winning. Wolf Boss had his Wing Chun teacher, but try not to underestimate! In relief, as their breaths drawing to a serene, Xing reached his paw to Zhong, lifting him. "And finally, you got me." Xing teased, chuckling.

"For a month, figuring out how to hit you? Peace, at last!" Wolf Boss admitted, his vicious teeth revealing the grin as the Nine around them softly cheered.

"Master Xing!" a sow farmer knocking the gate called. The gray sow in a brown robe and red sash bowed and gave a pleasant smile with innocent dawn eyes. "I'm sorry to interrupt. Can I have two of your students to lift heavy cargo for me? I need a burdener, plant more carrots and plow fifty yards."

"Duty calls!" Xing bobbed, turning to the ape, he knuckled Bao's lofty shoulder. "Bao, you help Mrs. Yan to plant more carrots across the yard with Zhong. Rest of you, patrol the Prosper Valley, and help a few villagers if they need assistance."

Many bowed and guided out of the Fighting Square, following the sow farmer. The white tiger's black ears picked up from the soft wind that flapped. The wings flipped and came down to him. Watching the goose land safely, Xing appeared his smile breaking. "Good day, Master Xing!" The Nine's Messenger greeted.

"Good day, Kong!" Xing returned his proper manner with a bob, stepping forward to the elder goose. "Have you got some messages?"

"Precisely, Master Xing," Kong nodded, handing the rolled-envelope with yin-yang wax pin. "A letter from your colleague and Kung Fu master."

Untying the wrappings, the tiger read the panda's script — his ocean eyes marveled with brilliant heavens.

_To my Wing Chun friend Xing_

_Hey Xing! Thank you for giving me birthday wishes today! Your brother Lao wrote and sent his letter for my birthday wish as well! I invite you and the Nine to come over Jade Palace and the Valley of Peace! Let us meet at the Pool of Sacred Tears, where Shen and I will go there to meditate today! It's gonna be awesome! _

_One hundred dumpling challenge is today! Can you bet I will win eating dumplings at Noodle Restaurant tonight?! My buddy Yoo accepts the challenge!_

_We should discuss and see what your pure form you are afraid of, Xing. My dragon doesn't bite. See you in Jade Palace, buddy!  
_

_Po_

"The Nine _accept _your invitation, Dragon Warrior." Xing approved.

"Xing."

A bright, female tone entered the tiger's black ears behind him. Xing met his grandmother's stone blue, which fixated her grandson in greeting presence.

"Your favorite farmer is on his way shortly. He wishes to speak with you at the Nine's Meeting alone."

Xing's grandmother's colleague farmer was the student of Thundering Rhino, they recognized and envied. With a soft grin, Xing nodded to Ming. "Very well, Nana. I'll wait inside the meeting." He returned to the Nine's Messenger. "You've been traveling long enough for more than five days, Kong —" the tiger palmed the goose's shoulder, "— rest for a while."

Without noticing the white tiger's mysterious thought, the goose bobbed and grabbed the message. "Of course," agreed Kong.

* * *

The tiger merely sat in the extent for a short moment — the Nine Dining Room, commonly known part of this room as the Nine's Meeting. A stack of painted papers on the table's left side laid there. Each seat, but one remained empty, but for those who sat Xing recalled, the Nine's Pirate giggled with a faint presence. Beside the Pirate's surroundings, the son of Master Ox and the reptilian student chortled back.

Memories and faded gray movement of the Nine let the tiger's lips pull more. The only quartet stayed in Gongmen City - the Nine's Heavyweight Students have their new home — The Nine's Pirate Shou became the Peafowls' Sea Defenders as the rest of former pirates returned with their knowledge of sea barriers.

For a moment, Xing watched the right view of Fighting Square. A group of five messengers stood around the circle.

Giant welcoming steps from the front mahogany door entered. "Master Gidahn."

The yak villager with a wooden tree root pole nodded; the white tiger rose and shook their hands. His hoof fingers seemed keen. "Hello, Xing," Gidahn's elder, a bold voice greeted. "How are you and the Nine?"

"We had a blast in the morning earlier. No troubles from bandits." Xing shared the news. "How have you been, Gidahn?"

The yak took his seat. "I had a beautiful morning earlier. Mika is now in charge of looking after Tanhuang — my sons are now the owners of Mùliào Trade."

The tiger widened his surprising eyes. "That's good to hear!" Xing impressed, handing the stack of painting papers to the yak. "Tai and Mel better make some wooden dummies."

"I expect they will." Gidahn hummed with his lips pulling to one side. "And your scar? Has it seemed to heal well?"

"Yes. It's going well. Hong gave me more remedies to sink some burns. My scar isn't going mad."

Browsing these drawings let the tiger remain his patience as his paws on wooden table clasped. The room seemed surrounding with a soft shiver and humid combining the beginning of the autumn season. For a moment, two geese messengers from the Fighting Square wandered — their eyes meeting Xing; the tiger gestured, and both geese returned their genuine smile after waving.

"You have been busy, Xing," the yak's eyes observed the paintings. "Your grandmother concerns your drawings — those _visions_ that you saw every night. Half of the villagers thought of you in psycho."

Xing's grinning lips had dissipated to a standard look. "Pardon me. I'm not _that _crazy, Gidahn," the tiger pointed out casually. "Every time I go to sleep, dreams _haunt _me, forcing my eyes to watch every vision like these drawings I painted. My Ox student Niu saw plenty of hallucinations. He only recalled of himself vomited, drowned in the black lake with his father, and fire - burned them both. Those were the only visions Niu saw."

Gidahn continued browsing the paintings as he placed a few in which he already saw. His zooming half-moon glasses fixated light grayish terrain and tall mountains; detailed spears, stairs, and _eyes_ splayed in ink. "What was the last encounter from the dream? The vision that this bear in black spilled you with a void ball?"

The white tiger sensed it all — one hot splash had stung him, let his whole eyes spread fire like a soap it accidentally spilled to your eyes. He had yet to witness these horrible trances (or visions). The seeds again grew slower that if you could plant and watch them grow within for a few weeks straight if you treat the plants well. If you could witness dreams, would you hardly try to remember how you experienced it? You only remember the trance for minutes, then the vision _fades_.

Xing's mind sunk deeper into soft glimpses.

First was the reddish surroundings of the dark hole.

Inside the darkness, a face figure of threatening bones and sharp teeth roared.

Xing rubbed his eyelids. "The black hole and komodo skull." Xing theorized.

The yak tilted his wandering head to the tiger. "Any place that you described before that?" Gidahn inquired.

Another thought seemed to itch the tiger's visions. Xing's feet met specks of soft and hard ground that whistled many tips of light brown and red. The white tiger shut his orbs, his fur and uniform meeting thick winds of scorching. Farther down the edges elsewhere, water-like reflections waved and broke when you approach, and it dissipated. The sun among the blue heavens kissed on boiling white and black striped fur.

"Humid. Hot sand. Mirage."

"The desert." Gidahn figured. "These visions are the tracks. Something you can only notice not everyone made through nightmares, even when the bear's magic spat few warriors like you and Niu. You are the only one who survived after the panda, and the albino lord pulled you out of the 'ascendant' vortex."

The tiger rolled his head to the left. "Ascendant?" he repeated.

"My mother's grandmother saw her disturbance illusion. Wherever she went through the bamboo forest, the dark leaves spat its water onto Huong's eyes. After awakened from the trance, she only remembered one scene of herself, surrounded by a peaceful pink lake. Turning from behind, Huong encountered the darkness and lizard skull, terrified her."

_Mother of blessings. Huong and I do have that _same _encounter. _Xing feared, his thought had clouded with specific.

"Even when you are describing the night and fire, Xing, you are dreaming of your parents where they died."

With concern toward the yak who clasped both hooves on the table, Xing, nevertheless, itched this _flames_ that murdered both of his loving parents. Despite only one shadow of an ox slaughtered after the tiger's mother, who was the first struck behind by a black arrow. The fire became water's real enemy.

Xing shook his head. "Not just one dream, Gidahn," he regarded. "My drawings mean something and remain a mystery to discover. The only way to discover is how I must confront the black bear."

"One thing for sure, according to Huangdi's imperial guard who survived black water: the black bear can do mind tricks, creating a false future," Gidahn stated, placing Xing's stack of paintings to one side. Seeking the white tiger opening his lips, the yak gestured him to a halt. "I can understand what you are going to ask. What if these visions are true? If the illusions are real, then we may not be going to expect when, and where it can happen."

These visions depended on how every scene would impact or not. Despite what this black bear, Phantom, now Huoju's Commander after the Prince of Darkness's defeat, trickster could be one thing — perhaps visions might be real or not. Xing remained in the midst of cautious wherever which of the illusions go first.

* * *

"So, your sons are jealous?" Xing cunningly inquired the yak villager he strolled with near the front gate of Shui Palace.

Clasping paws behind, Xing turned to Gidahn, who chuckled. "They seem to figure out how to steal your sword," the old yak determined. "Mel and Tai are desperately craved to come to your presence at Tanhuang, love to challenge. If they win, both will keep your sword, and never hoof the katana to you."

The tiger scoffed. "Good luck to Tai and Mel," Xing hummed. Their feet had ceased; they observed most of the villagers working, roaming, and children chasing themselves in various directions. "The Nine have plans with the Dragon Warrior and Furious Five, Gidahn, even the Prosper Valley I must look after since Huangdi messaged me. He informed that the Fire Clan would soon attack my village when and if they find—the white dragon."

"I understand." Gidahn bobbed. "May I ask: How is the Mind been up to?"

The yak too interested in the mysterious creature inside Xing, who mainly slept and woke on random moments; the tiger was afraid of it. "It has been quiet for a while. Lotus sometimes sees me waking up without remembering how I have awakened." Xing fixed at his chest, his paw brushing thoroughly. "The Dragon Warrior might discover the problems soon as I must catch up to him today."

Both she-wolf and small bunny warriors approached beside the yak. "You both are leaving with Gidahn?" Xing lifted one eyebrow toward Hong.

"Yeah, we have to bring more lotus flowers. Your Nana seems desperate to plant more in the garden. We'll be back tonight." The Nine's Doctress winked.

"Can I borrow your katana for a while, Xing?" the wolf's silk sunlight orbs met the tiger naively. "There's no need for the troublemaker, but Gidahn, Hong, and I need to keep our eyes in these woods."

Even though most of the lands meant peaceful over the outskirts of any village, but troubles were always there — as you go there where you suppose to be, the problem might sometimes be in your way. As you go there where you do not belong at the wrong time, you will endure from unexpected neighborhood gangs.

Xing knew these woods, and farther down, the outskirts were not safe — despite bandits interest what thieves, spies, and dark warriors are looking for: yens, innocent lives, _the white dragon_. "Okay. We'll be back after Po's party." Xing curled his arms over Lotus's back, his forehead meeting her silky head. "Kong, you have a watch in Shui Palace."

The Nine's Messenger to the tiger's right near the gate bowed. "Yes, Master Xing." Kong obeyed.

Lotus licked Xing's muzzle. "Send us the Dragon Warrior regards and wish him a happy birthday!"

"Hey, big cat. Are you ready to head Jade Palace?" Wolf Boss, beside his daughter, grinned his vicious teeth with a wicked eye. Nodding to the Wolf, Xing fisted one-eyed alpha's fist.

"I'll see you soon, Gidahn." Xing gestured the yak.

"So will I. Be careful, Xing."

* * *

The four warriors began trekking to the eastern outskirt, where the bayou sang and moving along with the breeze's quiet ripples. The next ten miles reaching Jade Palace was the only Prosper Valley's neighborhood companions — although you could pay the boatman's vessel and let you venture toward China's most famous where the Masters of Jade Palace occupied. This Noodle Restaurant many people never get quiet about it every day.

The four never minded the vessel ride as the tiger, one-eyed wolf, cobra, and bulky gorilla sauntered through the ocean of bamboo trees in their preference. Walking keeps your energy going, gives you the amount of good health instead of sitting.

Nine miles later, Xing's left eye caught a soft green form in a metallic kilt and red pants within the hilly bamboo forest. A red mark with three words wrote on the wooden wall that had nailed in front of the bamboo sticks.

_For my cousin. _

"You spot somebody there?" Wolf Boss suspected while walking with Xing.

"I thought I saw someone. Maybe that was just a wooden board with red letters." Xing answered.

"Hmm."

"It's not one of Shen's eyes, I mean." The tiger carefully stated.

The nostalgia of Shen's eye symbol made Wolf Boss revolting. Behind the remembrance of himself how insane he was with the patch next to his shoulder, indicating a blood-red eye of Lord Shen's train, which reflected the meaning of _fear_ — full of hate. Months after Shen's fall, Zhong at Master Wolf's palace in peaceful snowy mountains held the symbol he hated carrying or pinning it on.

Zhong's eye seemed stiff as he locked on the sight, which his black ears recorded the peacock's war cry, the dying wolves, and most of the cannons burst with innocents' sob. His paw pressured against the edges of the eye and hurled it into the pale shivering wind. His throat wanted to scream, knowing in his heart had shredded into a thousand pieces he murmured his grunt as if his sores stung within his wrapping bandage chest.

"The sign or a mark could be a gang hideout nearby. It's better not to get close to their territory — whether you trespass, invade, or not." Wolf Boss expected.

"What do you think of this rumor, Zhong — about this bamboo forest that kept _quiet _ for a while?"

The presence of this terrain was quiet ever since the crocodile gangs left Gongmen City after helping the Masters of Jade Palace along with Huangdi's Resistance. A rumor perhaps, but be careful how you share the news that was true or not. "Er— I think the trees had softly cried by every crocodile's sob. Since I was walking with my daughter a week ago on the night before we went to Weeping River, about more than ten torches were swimming into the forest."

"They lost someone?" The cobra, Fanshe, queried.

"_Possibly_."

The reptile figure skulking in front of the thick bamboo lines eyed on all four passing on the dry dirt path through the Valley of Peace. Neither one (but the tiger _almost_) had spotted him. Fung relieved his long sigh, he took his helmet with spiky tip-off and walked away into the opening field along with his grief crocodile bandits.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! **

**Still, no sign of other two villains as we got Wolf Boss. Regardless of him as the supporting character, I believe he's crucial in the series — nevertheless, we only saw him on KFP2, where Shen threw knives at him. **

**To SheyConYamo: I might have to borrow your OC Gidahn for a while as he's part of the supporting character. Hopefully, I didn't change his character arc because he's an intelligent villager, has a few bits of knowledge of my boy's painting/drawing visions — Gidahn mentioned one of his own who witnessed the apparition before.  
**

**Feel free to notify me if I wrote words that are hard to read. **

**Next stop: Pool of Sacred Tears!**


	3. Sacred Tears

**Volume One: A Visitor**

* * *

_Chapter III_

_Sacred Tears_

I. The Quartet

The Nine waved the villagers of the Valley of Peace as they arrived at the south side of the welcoming entrance. The villagers and pandas waved back at them — they commemorated their reputations that the Nine was also part of the Jade Palace masters' allies. They helped the Emperor and Resistance a few months back, and before the battle of Gongmen City, the Nine's Leader and the rest of the Company salvaged the People's Hero, Po.

The Nine sauntered all their way from the Prosper Valley since the start of the afternoon. The afternoon sunlight kissed beyond the mountains, and most of the green lands touched many peacefully. Their legs seemed to bound their tight tendons, which sores behind soleus muscle warmed. A stairway of ten thousand steps was no joke as the panda salvaged many of his breaths while ascending towards the top, Xing always determined from the Furious Five.

Ahead of the Nine company, a red panda master with Oogway's wooden staff at the front gate approached. The Nine bowed the Furious Five master with respective manner. "Welcome back to Jade Palace, Master Xing." Master Shifu chuckled. His cheek pressed on the staff as he observed the wolf, gorilla, cobra, and white tiger smiling at him. "Have you ease your Wing Chun training?"

Xing bobbed. "Yes, Master Shifu. Been feeling better than last time, I did."

"I see you brought your Company with you. Welcome back, Masters Fanshe and Bao," the red panda eyed on all three but the one-eyed wolf. After shaking their paws, Shifu met Wolf Boss to Xing's left side. "You must be Zhong. I believe the Dragon Warrior spoke that the Emperor already pardoned many wolves after the Company, including you and the other two wolves rescued Po."

"Greetings, Master Shifu," Zhong again bowed to the master. "I am, _sir _— I mean, _Master_."

Shifu lightly chuckled. "Your civility is _improved_ well," Shifu let his lips curve to one side. Perhaps the Five and Shifu did contemplate this one-eyed wolf who proved his _vows_ in front of Po in a few months back — so did the panda he redeemed the alpha from the causes. Wolves do have a big heart, a bit of rudeness but Zhong, and bold faces do they? "How is your grandmother, Xing?"

"She's very _charming_," the tiger's lips stretched to one side while nodding. "Ming's a strong lady I credit and love her more than what she is."

"And how is your scar?" Shifu gestured at Xing's mark.

The feline tiger lightly massaged his faded pale scar. "It's healing well. And all the Masters?"

"Same. My student Po expects your arrival."

* * *

Not for long, Shifu escorted the Company to the front monastery of Training Hall. Their eyes met both figures of the black and white bear and the albino peacock perch ahead of themselves peacefully on soft brown mats to comfort their sitting position; the sharp shouts from the Training Hall inside and the enormous doorway thundered.

As the red panda master cleared his tendered throat, both the Dragon Warrior and former Lord of Gongmen opened their serene eyes, meeting new arrivals. Po sprang his legs.

"Oh, hey, Xing! How are you, buddy?" the panda wildly invited and shook the tiger's paw.

"Happy birthday, Dragon Warrior!" Xing stunned and shook Po's paw mannerly. "Where's my dumpling cake?"

Po and Xing laughed; many but Lord Shen chuckled when the panda gestured his opening paw toward the white tiger. "Whoa, hey now! The rule is simple: _Share is caring_!"

"Damn right! Excuse my language; it's been a long walk between here and Prosper Valley." Xing enthusiastically said. Zhong's face yet froze his fixation ahead of this peacock lord (formerly lord) who just met his ruby eyes at him, four times of staring without sudden movement. "Oh! Pardon me. Where are my manners?" Shen's stare quivered from one of the visitors who cleared his throat. It was his son's closest friend who straightened his head and back. "Greetings, Lord Shen."

"Greetings, Xing," Shen hardly grinned. "Pardon me. I'm not a lord anymore."

"You still are, my Lord," the tiger esteemed. Regarding his admiring presence, Xing was also honoring the high ranks of lords. "I always give a proper rank and name, respectively."

_You do have the honor characteristics; my son is right about you._

Shen contemplated while nodding to the tiger. He eyed on his enthusiasm teacher as the peacock tugged both feathers within long sleeves. "Shall we begin?"

"Oh yeah, good!" Po widened. "You ready to take a walk with us, Xing?" The black and white bear requested, his paw gesturing toward the steep mountains toward the rim, far down to the northwest side. "I love to manifest you an awe-inspiring place you'll ever see!"

Xing spread his paws. "Then, let's go!" He interested. He turned to both cobra and a giant gorilla. "Stick around with the Furious Five. We'll return in a few hours."

The Training Hall gateway creaked as it opened, and a group of extraordinary masters of five revealed when the white tiger waved, and both Fanshe and Bao gestured the Five. "Hey, guys!"

* * *

Walking farther down where Po trekked was not difficult as you keep on strolling. Xing did not mind to roam more. The quartet (including Shen and Wolf Boss following the panda and white tiger) inclined to this side track of one of the short steep hills you could fancy Jade Palace behind, with gray clouds swimming underneath and thin, fresh air entering their muzzles.

"So no boat ride?" Po asked his tiger colleague beside him.

"Eh, walking is better to keep you awake, not really sleepwalking," Xing said.

"Right," The bear nodded with a squint of his jade eyes.

Behind the panda and tiger, Zhong followed and heard their conversations about their traveling considerations as if you could discover any places you have not mentioned or heard; you would want to write many facts and histories. This lupine was not fancying on his daughter's companion nor the Dragon Warrior he deeply regretted after _nearly_ slaughtered Li Shan's son.

Zhong caught up next to the albino, who always kept his beak close that you cherish these magnificent views of the Valley of Peace and Jade Palace, especially the rim borders which lied beyond the villages. With every step, the peacock closely sensed the wolf's strolling pace, Shen even had his slightest guilt in which his feather blades nearly took Zhong's life. And here he was with Zhong. One wolf and one peacock with the unbreakable bond.

"Zhong," the albino greeted without seeking his old friend's right eye.

"Shen," Wolf Boss addressed the same monotonous tone. "Have you going so well in Jade Palace?"

"This palace is my new home," Shen admitted. "Nothing so hard to see my home by the looks of the nostalgia. My father exactly pointed out to this peaceful palace that he and I went there before at once, many moons ago."

Wolf Boss smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Hmm?" Shen's beak stretched when humming. "What of your new home?"

The lupine chuckled. "Same as I lived. The boy has many spirits. Xing's my teacher, so as his grandmother, she's my go-to counsel. The boy still has many lessons before becoming a sagacious master, but he's very good at _leading_."

"I trust that your daughter looks thriving?" Shen queried. His tone seemed to incline with caring and thriving toward his companion. To Zhong, it was ultimately rare that he and Shen did get along with their lively discussions before this crime Shen committed. So as he and Shen's beloved peahen wife Xia, they seemed to get together, compared to the albino.

Wolf Boss stunned this question, which he could not dodge. They usually wrote their scripts on every weekend, their tales as if living in their prosperous villages — Shen sought his companion's daughter about a few months during the Battle of Gongmen. "Lotus?" Zhong deliberated as the peacock buzzed his throat with a "_hm-hmm"_ sign. "Er… Every time I look at her, she reminds me of her mother's yellow eyes. She's very kind. Lotus needed some father lessons. She only raised well, becoming a sister she properly and insanely speaks to her friends. She's rather spending more time with Xing than me."

"Is your daughter startled a little?"

"Not that I am afraid of," Wolf Boss shook, his apple throat swallowing hard. "It appears that Lotus needs more time to think of me as her father. She deserves more answers I wanted to know of her mother's existence."

* * *

More than five hundred steps later, the quartet observed the majestic view of these misty, fizzling water-fog that floated towards the edgy and cliffs, thus a few waterfalls crying with natural whispers. The minerals had crafted with dry and grass, which blended on this random terrain. The opening had shaped with a crescent moon, below was swell. The rocky soil towered among them. To the quartet's side, a small smaragdine stone perched.

The masculine tiger's breath burned his lungs, relieving the fresh air with blends of dry mist water flowing in many directions. "You dragged me all the way up here for a _swimming pool_?" Xing chirped, his paws clawing the mushy grass when bending both knees forward.

The panda held his paw gesture. "Oh, yeah. But first things first: The Pool of Sacred Tears is not a place for a bath, neither a _pool_ to swim. Too bad, buddy."

The tiger's head faced down as referencing _Aw, man_ facial. "But let me explain, my awesomeness teacher's master found this harmony where he visioned life and the focus of martial arts." The Dragon Warrior spread his limbs over this sacred land. "Here, standing on this hardcore awesomeness land is the birthplace of Kung Fu."

Shen flickered his crests upward, amazed to contemplate this essential history that his father sometimes envisioned his son about Oogway the Magnificent, who created Kung Fu. He had once marveled before somehow being ignored while Shen's teacher, Master Thundering Rhino, trained him with very complex art, blended with Kung Fu and advanced dancing techniques where you will not expose the peacock's speed and agile. Cai Li Fo.

The lupine to Shen's side intensely shone his ruby eye with his lips dragging to one side. He had thought of kung fu during his young days and exiled times as if his teachers, Master Ox, and Master Croc before Lord Shen, educated him before the destruction of the panda village. To his regretful thought, which flooded with sorrowfulness, Wolf Boss adopted his kung fu toward wickedness.

Crouching toward the edgy pool, Xing dazzled his pure stone eyes. "Oh, my! This place is _exquisite_, Po! Water seems pure like. . ."

"Glassy rocks?" Po guessed.

"Constellations," Xing marvelously spoke, each ripple which reflected healthy ocean blue, met the tiger's whole garment chest — his blue eyes yet sparkled with specks of pale on edgy iris from many tips of the surface. "Dragon Warrior. I believe this area is perfect for meditating."

"So it seems." Shen figured.

The panda palmed the tiger's back. "Let's see how your _thing_ inside you is doing," Po smirked as his other paw stretched under his chin. As determined, the bear pointed. "Um. Mount this rocky tower, and sit, crisscross. I'll be on the other stone."

As the white tiger did while swirling his jump toward the tip of the solid stone, the Dragon Warrior mounted the other. For a moment, both peacock and one-eyed wolf observed both warriors perching at each other; Zhong clasped both of his paws behind his pack when Shen tugged both feathers within long sleeves, squinting.

Relieving thickness of his breath, Xing caught his ears that met the melody cries of the river falling into misty clouds in the farther distance. It was prosperous. "Close your eyes — sense the nature all around you," Po announced his balance tone so he could let his colleague contemplate the amity. "Relief whatever you grow past. Tomorrow will reveal the mystery. And today, the present opens the gift."

The afternoon broke free from the unpredictable clouds which pale yellow rays stroked a whole Sacred Tears. One of the rays blessed the white tiger — Zhong kept his eye investigate as if the specks of blossoms from the north soared like feathers. It engulfed under the towering stone. As these cherry blossoms had met by the lining rays, the lupine heard his daughter's companion's inhaling sinus.

One pink blossom lightly brushed the tip of the masculine tiger's muzzle, and Xing's eyelids revealed his white eclipse pupils.

* * *

II. Metal and Chi

_The Mind of Metal awakes. _

_Its sinus engulfed the Autumn leaves. _

_The tiger's heart thundered. _

The Mind wandered the tiger's head. Its eyes seemed to shrink the pupils; the Mind maintained his meditation breaths above Xing's lungs. For a moment, the Mind had set its orbs meet the black and white figure who deeply engulfed the rusty fall breeze. To Po's back and farther to his left, the albino fell his beak to a dumbstruck; his feathers dug more — graving feather knives brushed back as Shen pulled it about an inch of its reveal.

Wolf Boss opened his palm to a halt without a sudden movement of _Easy now, Shen!_ The peacock's expression was priceless when he watched his former foe spiraling the fireball with the shape of yin-yang and angry ripples circulating, and the white dragon roared its rays toward Huoju at the Room of Woe in Yinxing Mountain.

The next thing the Mind did, its eyes dragged toward the albino's heart that was racing and hammering. It slid to the panda, who stretched his grin. _Po?_ The Mind's thoughtful voice shared the tiger's tone.

_Xing? Whoa, I can talk to you in your thoughts! _Po widened his closed eyelids.

_DRAGON WARRIOR, SON OF LI OF HOUSES SHAN AND PING. _The Mind of Metal introduced, its voice now changed to a boldness feminine character, blended with sharp ripples and gentle thunder. _I AM MANY VOICES OF XING CHEN'S ANCESTORS. _

_Whoa! You must be the Mind! My name is Po, by the way. That's what my friends and family call me. _

_VERY WELL, PO. HAVE NO FEAR TO THE PRESENCE OF THE MIND. _The metal dragon enunciated, as now the tone changed with boldness masculine. _THE MIND GIFTS YOU THE SOARING GLIDE, WHERE YOUR BODY MOTIONS AND PASSES THE SUN, BUT CASTS NO SHADOW._

_Oooh. What _gift_? _Po determined suspiciously.

Just then, the panda's whole body gleamed. Po's pure chi began sketching its swiveling body and wide jaw. The light detailed the reptilian skins, which reflected with afternoon sunlight — its eyes and smiley dragon figure copied the panda's movements. _Whoa! My spiritual dragon from the Spirit Realm!_ Po cherished.

_THE SON OF SHUI ATTRACTS HIM AND YOU WHERE YOUR "AWESOMENESS" SPECULATES THE ALL OF CHINA. _

_You mean, my buddy, and I wish to fly?! Yeah! Let me fly with him! Let me guide his flight training!_

_DO AS YOU PLEASE, DRAGON WARRIOR. _The Mind shut its right eye.

Po's dragon now grew its lengthy body than it was before from the Spirit Realm. The panda's whole body lifted along the blossoms and his chi dragon. Po glanced up to the tangerine sky, his limbs rising and swung down — he and his chi dragon soared with a rapid zig-zag motion.

"WOOHOO!"

Po's dragon entered the tip of the stretching clouds. On the back of Xing's spine, the Mind's whole reptilian head roared as it floated, revealing the white dragon. Underneath the Mind, the blossoms swarmed over its long neck; its wings extended both sides. Many scents of cherry and jasmine swarmed, and the Mind of Metal followed the Dragon Warrior's chi trace into heaven.

One blossom leaf spun near the yin-water when the Mind spread and sprang its feather-wings. Wolf Boss and Shen caught the sight of two blossoms: one shone as the dwarf star, and the other had kissed with Oogway's chi, the blossoms pressed against the calm surface of the water Yin. The leaf with midrib and petiole from Xing's pale chi pressed on a soft surface, the reflection foams that gleamed by the sun swiftly riffled. Every speck of the ripple painted a familiar vision of Po's dragon, as this observation, by the Mind's eyes followed chi, both Shen and Wolf Boss moved over to the edge of the yin water. White and yellow swarmed their pale ripples it waved, both visions revealing as if one followed Po's dragon and the other looked back — the white dragon spread its blossom wings it roared.

Their reaction was luminous.

* * *

_THIS IS AWESOME!_

The chi dragon who shared the soul of Po's exciting voice slithered to a zig-zag flow underneath the spongy sheet cloud. Behind Po's avatar, the Mind of Metal flapped its enormous feather wings, its lofty throat yelping the tiger's shock. _OOGWAY'S BLESSING!_ Xing startled.

_HERE, LET ME HELP YA!_ Po yielded upwards and dove next to the white dragon. He slightly inclined above the Mind's back with bone fins that attached from its upper end of the head to lengthy tail.

A minute past by when both metal and chi dragons glided among the tips of the mountains - their roars were not exactly threatening as if the Mind of Metal managed its announcing screech, letting the Musicians Village far down below the dragons get their attention. One bunny musician, about old and leader observing the heaven, fell his mouth wide open with a stunning smile.

_Look, it's the Dragon Warrior!_

_Wow! Who's that flying with him?_

_It's the white dragon who saved us!_

Many villager's cries delighted both Po and Xing at once, their dragons waving their zig-zag glides over these towering mountains. Not for long, both dragons inclined; harsh winds ahead of their faces drifted and underneath the Mind's wings. Xing in the white dragon's mind managed the advantage flight, as if in his next life or wished to soar among the birds; he desired to observe most lands over the highest altitude and finding bandits they could skulk.

Both of Mind's wings balanced when harsh winds entered underneath them. Xing jolted his head to the chi dragon after Po let his breath gasp with wondrous enthusiasm.

_OH, LOOK! THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA! LET'S FLY THERE, AND FOLLOW MY GUIDE!_

Their spectacular sights zoomed at wavy lengths of individual-made stones of the Great Wall, where these borders protected from many hordes of bandits passing or mounting over. Among these hilly mountains, the stone walls yet towered among other lofty watchtowers that connected to the different lines of the borders. Many men of the Resistance in fine armors with gold stood, thousands of their prep-eyes training toward the peaceful sky.

They were amazed to glimpse, as many soldiers' eyes met the reflection of metal and chi traces, which both Po and Xing balanced their dragon glides.

_HEY! LET'S GO FOR SOME SPEED! LET'S SEE HOW YOU CAN MANAGE THIS! _WINGS OF THUNDER_!_

Po's dragon inclined its nose toward the heavens, behind the chi tracing its super-sonic echoes which cracked with thunderclaps. While the Mind did as it spread and fanned enormous bird wings, Xing let the white dragon chase Po's creature, climbing and climbing into the snowy, ashy clouds. Passing over the scorching sea desert as one haunted ship had perched for centuries, Po and Xing glanced at over the rim mountains, which peaked toward the east.

A moment went by, both dragons above the breaking clouds craned their heads under, and China's finest city that made silks in the province laid there. This city had enough damage with many fears which people always thought of the battle: bandits rampaging, warlords destroying everything in their paths, and what's worse than stealing and conquering? — _Free for all_ — referencing death. Many people feared another battle. Another enigmatic warlord. Another Shen (not precisely)?

The peacock lord in his grandfather's robe towered over the Holy Flame entrance view. His crests yet blew by the cracking booms above the rim of Gongmen City. The city's new lord, Lao, son of Lord Shen, glanced up to both yellow and white creatures soaring. To Lao's left, his mother, Lady Xia in blossom and ocean robes, followed her son's view; the Masters of Gongmen and their students, the Nine's Heavyweights, did the same in awe expression.

Both Mind and Chi yielded their wings to the left, circling among the salty sea.

_HEY, BROTHER!_ The greeting hail was the Mind's who shared Xing's chirping tone and smile, which the white dragon stretched its lips, revealing sharp teeth. His stone eyes popped, and pointy ears caught a light chuckle from Lao's mother.

The young lord grinned. "Show off!" Lao protested ironically.

_You and I both have that common, brother — to show off against each other like children we used to be!_ Xing thought.

On exact half-hour of soaring to practice, the Mind and Chi almost arrived Jade Palace while both dragons passed over the gaps of these stiff, tower mountains which at the heart of it, mists rippled in a still pace as if the cherry dusk met the clouds. Xing's black ear caught a crackle of burning wood, and let his eyes drift down where the sound echoed with gentle embers.

Within the bamboo woods, A towering figure covered his long gray cloak, perched in front of the camping fire. From the figure's perspective, the sonic boom from the sky lifted his floppy ears. While letting the fire breathe in between the blocks of wood, the figure hastily jolted to his stand. From beyond the prosperous horizon of light cheese and cherry, which stretched across the endless hemisphere and to the west, there were both white and yellow dragons soaring over the giant mountains.

There was the sickness in which his left hand tightened his grip. Underneath his hoof, a jade knife had linked along with the metal chains of amulet collections over his waist.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_

— _**I had many visions of both Chi and Metal dragons training their flights together. Of course, there will be a bit more extending scenes to show off themselves later in the future. This flight scene inspires me of Superman's first flight from the movie "Man of Steel."  
**_

— _**The Mind does speak to blend different voices in which generations — male and female warriors passed every tiger individual. One voice I found the idea was this character Emissary of the Nine from the game "Destiny 2" as she speaks while her lips do not move. So as I come to have such a creative idea to inspire my Mind how it shall speak, it reminds me of Saphira from Eragon. So both Po and Xing could talk in their thoughts as they can, **_**even **_**their avatars. **_

— _**Instead of focusing my OCs more (except Xing and Lotus they are, and briefly Lao), the Furious Five and Po are mains they deserve more attention. But there's something that our villains shall need as well.  
**_

— _**And that's all with my notes! Thank you all for reading! Smash those follow and favorite if you LOVE IT so far! **_


	4. Noodle Party

**_Hello! Guess who's back! Me! Your KFP hardcore fan! _**

**_I'm publishing one chapter only this week, I suppose. Too long, I reckon there is a purpose by letting me focus on my story more instead of giving it all I got - rushing the tale is _no gooda** **_(Spy Hard movie reference!). _**

**_For the time being, let us drive into Po's party! _**

**_\- GrayZeppelin_**

* * *

**Volume One: A Visitor**

* * *

_Chapter IV _

_Noodle Party_

Both spiritual dragons safely landed towards the Sacred Tears land. Chi and Metal creatures entered the backs of the panda and white tiger as if blossoms and natural breeze sharpened its melody bamboo zen. Shen and Wolf Boss set their eyes at the Dragon Warrior who opened his jade eyes, and the other dissipated the white eclipse orbs, shading to stone blues.

Xing widened his mouth. "That. Was —"

"HARDCORE!" Po delighted, fisting both paws into the air. "I can't believe I got a fancy present from the Mind of Metal!"

"So now you can summon your Chi dragon as many times as you like," the white tiger delighted, springing down to the flat ground ahead of both Shen and Zhong.

Po glanced at the sky, which both of his eyes had sparkled. "Oh, sugar honey iced tea! It's almost dusk!" the panda sprung his back, his knee kneeling to rise. "We better get to my dad's noodle restaurant!"

The tiger's head gestured. "Let's go celebrate, buddy." Xing chirped.

Both Po and Xing hastily paced their stroll toward the edgy, rocky stairs, both of their knuckle-fists made a gentle blow. "Well, er — that was _marvelous_." One-eyed wolf shrunk his pupil, pacing his walk as if the peacock did the same. "I thought this big dragon gonna eat us all."

"Is that so?" the peacock hummed.

"Xing's dragon didn't attack, so I'm surprised it was looking at us _oddly_."

The dusk flattened amid the western horizon, and the sky shaded cherry. Among the cherries, the paint grew slightly darker while the sun pressed against Mother Nature. Luckily for the quartet reaching Jade Palace in time in an exact hour walk journey, the Masters of Jade Palace and two members of the Nine were waiting for the company.

Every breath of her sinus, Tigress masked this troubling issue for the past few months after the Battle of Gongmen City she and the Five dealt the Prince of Darkness. She was not the only one or a few who concerned the albino's presence, as if having a reckless, pandemonium, and evil Lord of Gongmen who would have slaughtered many pandas. A _coward_, she once called him — _You are going to be part of something _beautiful, Shen gently threatened next to her ear, let her ears shrink back and sinus bend with a defiance look.

Her glare had distracted as Tigress's paw once stroked by a pointy tail. It was her closest companion, her sister, Viper, glanced up to the feline's right. "You okay, Tigress?" her innocent tone queried. She was sure to have Shen living at Jade Palace as Po desirably craved him from the peacock's critical life; worse than death, insanity and tyranny were Shen's appetite.

"Yes," Tigress relieved, her fingers relaxing as the tip of her tail swiveled with a soft gesture. "This day feels like a historical moment, isn't it, Viper?"

"Oh, yes. So historic," Viper agreed, slithering beside the feline. "I think this day shall be luminous. We also have an idea for you and Po to sit and let us perch next to you both. What do you think?"

"Hmm. I will accept it."

"My big sister. My best friend. You know, we love you." Viper crawled onto Tigress's leg and let the feline hold the snake. The serpent's tongue rapidly brushed to Tigress's fluffy cheek. "We are a family. If there's something you should need help with, let all of us come to you."

"I expect whatever my mind comes." Tigress simpered a little.

"Stripey!" Tigress's student Lei Lei caught sprinting behind both masters. She spread her right arm, embracing the feline's whole back.

In front of them, a whole group descended near the Jade Palace Arena as Tigress watched her nephew strolling with the masters. "You brought me cookies from your sister, buddy?" Monkey knuckled the tiger's forearm.

"Unfortunately, Lotus has a routine to forbid herself from eating all the cookies for now. Sorry, Master Monkey." Xing explained, his back was pinpointing as it crawled toward his shoulders. The edge of the tiger's right eye caught a tiny green that whizzed his insect wings. "I can see you are sneaking next to my shoulders, Master Mantis."

Mantis widened his golden eyes. "Oh, he's cautious — like his Auntie." The insect said. "Now your face looks vicious, Xing. You're _badass_, by the way."

"Uh...Thanks?" Xing perplexed.

"I would like to follow up your doctor's details she swaddled your battle scar." The bug sharpened his inhaling breath, widening. "Hey! How's my partner been up to, by the way?"

Over a few days after the Kong Bai Stadium ambush, Mantis and the Nine's Doctor Hong gathered many of the remedy equipment as they salvaged third-quarter of the weak and injured soldiers. Often not eaten the insect's head, which could have turned fatality to end his life, that was anxious if Mantis ever met other insects.

"Hong's been busy lately. She's following up a few remedies — her colleagues and cousin Wu Hop searched some healing items throughout the east of China. Hong patched my scar well." Xing said, his voice balancing.

"I see," the insect bobbed his head.

Giant hands on all fours approached with light and loud behind the tiger and insect. A lofty gorilla, Bao, palmed Xing's left shoulder. "Bao, noodles! Bao, dumplings!"

The cobra Fanshe ahead of the ape chuckled. "Hold your belly there, big guy. We're almost there."

"Boy, he's hungry, alright." Mantis murmured to the white tiger's ear.

The ape buzzed his throat, craning his whole head near the bug's side. "Bao, _green bug_." Bao grinned with his teeth wide open.

"Whoa! Don't eat me!" Mantis yelped and nearly slipped to Xing's shoulder.

"He does eat the insects?!" Monkey chirped, gasping.

"Oogway's blessing — No! Bao's trying to say that he likes for you to dine with him." The cobra reasoned both masters out.

Monkey's fur collapsed back to normal when Mantis mounted back to where he stood next to Xing's head. "Oh." Monkey and Mantis glanced at each other in understandable, calming their terrifying breaths.

"With a _date_." Xing bantered, and half of the warriors boomed their laughs, and the other half snickered.

The albino strolled beside his panda teacher. They reached out of the Jade Palace Arena. "It's your birthday, panda." Shen icily spoke. "I suspect not many of your villagers could let me roam at your brilliant party."

"I invite you to my noodle restaurant, Shen," Po said. "I like for you to come with me and the Five. There are a lot of places you never see my village before. Of course, I only show you my father's restaurant."

"I admire your goose father, panda. You can roam me next time while I crave meditation."

"As long as you are with me, my people will not scream at you," Po pointed out. "The Valley is not a violent village, nor intimidating people go rioting, and mobbing with torches and farm equipment tools."

* * *

Moments went by as the whole group arrived at Noodle Restaurant, where many villagers and a few visitors would visit soon. _Most_ of the stores, motels, beverages, and garments, but Noodle Restaurant forbade the presence of the peacock lord, knowing half of the Valley of Peace now populated with pandas. Not _every_ panda disgusted Shen, Po supposed as he reasoned them and his father, Li Shan, who had almost lost his loving child for many years and found Po.

To the Dragon Warrior, it was impossible to see both Shen and Li discuss as if any peacock's breath struck into Li Shan's presence, Po's dad could reach both paws and lock onto Shen's throat. That mostly led the peacock's years of regret. When you have bitten someone's back, he will bite you hard where it hurts. Po had only admitted that he would have loved to Shen roam the Dragon Warrior's party, despite what Li _hated_ Lord Feng's son going near the People's Hero. Po strongly agreed to keep Shen into the panda's room instead.

Decorating every lantern light above the restaurant, including the tables lining with a horizontal position, Po lifted his soft ears as if the horde of villagers outside of the entrance cheered. He and Tigress dressed their elegant gold garments, their silky hats towered with headdresses. Both cement walls left with many pictures of the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five. The whole restaurant had wafted with spices and pasta noodles Mr. Ping cooked within his kitchen with Po's cousins.

The white tiger lastly positioned the main table, where both Po and Tigress could sit and watch many visitors and companions. His left eye caught his aunt's little grin; Tigress nodded with a "thank you" gesture. "My grandmother sends her regards, Auntie. She would love to see you celebrating with the Dragon Warrior," Xing admitted, his paws fiddling behind his back. "Although Ming has other plans to watch over Shui Palace."

The feline bobbed her head. "Understandable, nephew. I am happy for you being here with us." Tigress spoke, placing a mahogany chair beside the other, which was twice the size — the Dragon Warrior's seat. "Is your sister Lotus coming tonight?"

"She appears to be helping out one of my grandmother's colleagues in Tanhuang right now, along with Hong," answered Xing, who only buzzed his throat while smirking at his aunt. Another thought began swiftly as if his eyes dazzled with ocean meeting the stars. "Is there any news about Shifu's student, Tigress?"

This word _student _that Xing may be dodging the name to someone's reputation that the rest of the Jade Palace masters never mention speaking in public (or private when Shifu's long ears could press against the paper wall when hearing his students' discussion). His aunt lightly pressed on her lips; the feline's look giving half concern and thoughtful to what Tigress's nephew deserved to know. _Tai Lung_, Tigress reflected. "Nothing yet as I recall." She answered with her head shaking.

"DAD!" Po gasped in delight and raced.

In front of the entrance, the elder panda in greet coat and conical straw hat called his son. "Give your old man a hug!" Li Shan spread his limbs and crushed his son's back. "Happy Birthday, son!"

Intriguing to the fact that Xing observed the father embracing his son, there was a moment he had felt the hug before — nevertheless, the tiger's parents had many blessings Xing would have hugged them back before their final breaths. His mother, when she crashed in the gloomy forest, dried her ocean eyes before her breath was stopped — the black arrow punctured her back where her heart was in front. The last glance as he and his grandmother watched in horror, Ming's son Shui sought his son and sobbed before the angry, swarming fire crashed down to him.

Moments went by, the bamboo flutes whistled, and guzheng strings lightly vibrated around the Noodle Restaurant the band members played. Five pigs (two percussionists and three flutes) and four geese (two bass, one lead, and one rhythm).

Li Shan entered the crowds; the one-eyed wolf crossed both arms and squared at the constellations above. Many excitements engulfed this valley; young pigs, geese, bunnies, and _pandas_ at many directions raced over the villagers in circles, the air carrying giggles, Wolf Boss thought of them as he was before.

A clearing throat next to Zhong let the wolf escape from thoughts as if his presence had summoned. To his left, Li Shan held his chin toward his height, spreading his lips; he dazzled both green eyes. The one-eyed wolf let his whole head face down when Li towered in front about two feet, standing. "Sir," Wolf Boss addressed, his tone was steady. He could feel his back brush with thick brisk. "I am _not_ here to fight."

"I've noticed." Li Shan grinned. "You are the one called Zhong. Po mentioned you before."

Zhong nearly hesitated to crane his head about an inch. His eye yet drifted where Li Shan was. "My son talked about you who pledged the Emperor, and helped with the Company to rescue Po."

"Since the attack in your village, the aftermath was not my call to hurt and capture your people. Not my adoptive peafowl parents' order." Wolf Boss explained, his eye pointing more toward the panda. "Er. Lord Feng would never turn back on you that you both were close, long time ago."

"Feng's not always a serious peacock. I remember him _well_," Li reminisced. "He would have loved to have me by his side as the Master of Farmer. Sadly, he reckoned with someone else who's much _wiser _than mine."

"Lord Feng had a good heart, may he rests well along with his Lady." Wolf Boss simpered. "A father-figure he was I always called him dad while not in public or a hearing inside the Throne Room."

"Yes," Li nodded.

Zhong glanced at the road, which packed with many villagers strolling along with their children. Their eyes seemed meeting, their voices tittering — one panda mother carried her infant cub she pointed a small spoon and let the child sip pasta noodles. This road and people were reminded of him as the young wolf of seven, sitting a dining chair with intricate patterns of gold heart metal and velvet constellations inside the Dining Chamber, which filled with the divine, the chandelier hanging underneath the dawning yellow ceiling. Cherry and grape scents engulfed.

Beside the young wolf and his peacock prince, they sat, Lord Feng and Lady Muqin's gardener Soothsayer held the boy's spoon sip into Zhong's lips and smiled. "You still think you are to put up the blame." Wolf Boss heard Li Shan's concerned voice as he escaped his thought.

There was no denying to lupine's recognition of reckless and soulless alpha who became Lord Shen's second-in-command. Never asked or signed up for the peacock's side to anticipate anyone dared to prevent Shen's tyranny from happening, despite how Soothsayer forewarned Peafowl Nobles. With his single eye, including the mark of shame to his other eye, Wolf Boss had pictured every inch of the pandas sprinting away with horrifying faces on the night.

Swallowing his throat as soft as he could prevent looking away from Li Shan, Zhong answered. "As the wolf commander I once was who Lord Feng promoted me to serve the city and defend the weak, his son let me and my wolves trek toward your land, and force us to capture you all." Wolf Boss's throat tightened to open his wounded vocal. "Consequences gave my blind scar eye, sir. This scar is my wound; I faced suffering and innocent."

The lupine's fluffy tail had caught when you embrace the pillow harder. A firm grasp was indeed crushing, where Zhong's spine became tense. Behind the wolf, a giant, infant panda lay forward. "Fluffy puppy!" the infant with brown eyes giggled. More than three infants joined behind the little girl they met lupine's eye. Two of them gripped on Zhong's whole legs; the third mounted his back and embraced his entire neck, the cub's cheeks brushing the mohawk.

Po's father chuckled. "Relax, Zhong. Everything's settled." Li Shan enlightened, palming Wolf Boss's right shoulder. "You have come to the right place to celebrate my son's birthday."

The wolf's silky black lips stretched as if behind his back was no longer brisk. One faced regrets many years he wished that the panda attack would have never happened, and the other wanted vengeance, but to seek sympathy toward a person who had forced into doing terrible things by his leader. "Come. Dine with me, and watch my son and Tigress open up their presents." Li guided Wolf Boss back into the Noodle Restaurant.

* * *

The challenge had not yet intended while the Dragon Warrior opened his fourth present by his awesomeness kung fu master. One gift of dumpling necklace by Dim and Sum and — thank the blessings, no pandas ever munch the dumplings they did before. The second present showed a duplicate of Wu Hop's spoon, which represented the Master of Cooking when many chefs cooked their fabulous food decorations every Winter Solstice day. The third revealed a Wing Chun dummy as it widened its length, three arms spreading more for the panda's space and its feet bending farther for the opponent's kick — gifted by his tiger colleague.

The fourth present as Po pulled strings and opened the brown-paper box. The garment had the replica of Shifu's brown robe and green shawl. Po's new gown grew about fourfold, despite Shifu's height as if Po seemed tall enough to wear. "Oh, my gosh! I can't believe I have another new robe!" Po stunned, maintaining his new garment he could hear the red panda's light chuckle ahead of him. "Master, I love you for this! Thank you!"

The red panda smirked with a chuckle. "Seems you are a master, Po, now you can educate my students with Tigress," Shifu said, his staff pinning with a _click_ to the pavement.

More than a hundred scrolls of messages had placed in between Tigress and Po; the rest of his presents stashed to his right as Tigress's presents placed on another table. Her gifts had packed with ten, as her last one was Mei Mei's pink-cherry garment with blue sash waist and intricate patterns of _lotus_ flowers on a full dress. Her ninth gift was Lei Lei's necklace flowers and crown roses. Lei Lei spread her arms and grasped Tigress's whole body without letting her go.

One scroll Po browsed his whole paw he caught, it was pale blue glass scroll with fine intricate lines of water and clouds, with the name _Lord Dongji of Gongmen City._ "Oh! Xing's It's your brother's letter!" Po announced, maintaining scroll toward the white tiger who chuckled. After opening Lao's letter, Po spread the index sticks, which revealed the young lord's ink writing. "He wishes me a good fortune for my birthday. He presents me with his ancestor's _revised_ scroll tale _A Song of The Great War_." The panda gasped with awe. "That looks severely cool! And P.S.!"

_Oh, brother. What's on Lao's mind?_

Xing thought with hilarious determination. The gorilla behind Xing gave a soft punch to the tiger's upper left shoulder, lowering his mighty chuckle.

"'Let my brother know I present him another scroll for his _paintings_. To Xing: Our mother never stops cherishing you and Lotus. Come to Gongmen City if you and the Nine wish to linger Honorable Warrior's Guest Room. We miss you both, brother.' "

One-third of the villagers echoed with touchy "aww" expression. The golden-snub master next to Crane trained at Xing. "You are an artist, Xing?" Monkey astoundingly inquired.

Xing bobbed, humming. "I do paint in some other time. It came back to me ever since I was a boy."

"Oh, good!" The insect cherished, springing his whole arms and legs above Monkey's head. "You're a painter!"

"Perhaps someday, Xing," Crane continued, his feathers palming behind the tiger's back. "I would love to encourage you to redraw some old banner heroes in all of China."

The white tiger's eyes softly shut at once after a nod. "It would be my honor. We'll see."

* * *

The albino browsed the Dragon Warrior's room. The sense of the panda's fur swam into his beak. Star metals landed crits of the angry red bull's head; about three stars lied on the wooden structure. Posters and banners of the Furious Five, Masters of Gongmen, and every master hung on three grayish clay walls ahead of Shen.

Shen sharply inhaled, his pupils shrinking to awe.

On these cabinets, Shen darted at, were more than twenty wooden action figures as he fiddled his feathers toward six, which are the Furious Five and the Great Dragon Tai Lung he recognized. Behind them, Thundering Rhino, Croc, and Storming Ox stood by; and next to the masters to their left, the wooden bull figure was far twice the size than Ox. A large gray bull with black threads behind his back (dark brown mane), and both horns shaped with fire-like, attached in between the mighty's head.

The albino snorted with disbelief. _Action figures?!_ Perhaps, Shen had many believe to the Five as they grew their determination to the Dragon Warrior's action figures. As Shen lifted his head, a wooden sign marked _Donations_ _For Bao Gu Orphans_.

_This panda has a heart for those children._ Shen thought, grinning.

One of the candles dazzled to Shen's eye as he glanced to the right. Tugging both feathers in his sleeve, Shen approached the _memoirs_ it stashed with jade wax candles. The banner above the candles revealed the Magnificent himself many people cherished the reptile master. Oogway sat with criss-cross legs on the rocky cliff; behind the tortoise along with blossoms swarming over him, the Peach Tree enlightened its pink leaves, shining above billions of constellations with the twilight horizon.

One of Shen's eyes drew his attention, which he craned near one of the jade candles to the left. A paper, positioning against both towering candles, was a mother panda supporting her precious infant. The peacock's train collapsed down behind his head when his spine raced with a fire burning the path, and ice breezing his feathers. The panda mother's rasping voice swarmed in Shen's head.

_He who seeks within your fear, and favors you to enlighten your heart…_ She-panda shut her orbs. Her vision could no longer reveal from opening with warming tears dripping to she-panda's cheek. _He who senses your pain... you flow crave of harmony with him…_

_Who is "He"?_ Shen demanded.

_My. Little. Lotus. _Po's mother breathed her final words before her green eyes dried out.

_Melancholy Sky and Earth_

The bamboo zen started tuning its whisper as guzheng adjusted, the six strings echoing through miners. The albino widened his ruby eyes as if his crests pulled downward, and his spine cooled. Shen knew this song before. Before the days of eternal darkness within him, there was this emotional song which many people contemplated, passed by generations, professional composers blessed it.

The peacock strolled toward the window where he could view the party after barging away from Po's room. The Dragon Warrior's paws connected to Tigress's they sidestepped in slow turns, so did to Mei Mei dancing with the panda villager. The crowds lightened their cheer while the zen band played. Shifu, Li Shan, and Mr. Ping at their dining table chuckled and watched all four in the middle. The Nine and one-eyed wolf beside the fathers impressed this song, so did both warriors Po and Tigress they managed to balance their side steps. The quartet of Furious Five thundered their claps (except Crane and Viper), applauding.

* * *

**Summer Solstice — Young Shen (Seven Years)**

There was this peachick, Shen became, grasped his mother's pink-ocean feather he and Lady Muqin walked across the concrete platform at the Tower of the Sacred Flame. The night prevailed a million white sparkles stretched along with the light-brown surroundings over the horizon. Zen music was engulfing the air with healing and soft tunes. Young Shen and his mother observed the musicians dressed in green garments supporting their instruments. His father, Lord Feng, along with Master Flying Rhino and Soothsayer behind the musicians, sauntered pass into the public walk bridge near the iron gate.

"_Mother. What song are they playing right now?_" Young Shen asked his mother with curiosity tone, pointing at the musicians.

Lady Muqin answered when pressuring her other feathers toward her heart. "_The members are playing beautiful zen music. A song _Melancholy Sky and Earth_ had passed many generations ago._" She eyed on her son's sparkling red orbs and continued. "_A goose musician from the old times of the Great War trekked into the North and mounted toward the mountain peak. A group of his composers traveled with him to witness his daughter's spiritual wind. He had lost one of his children, taken by Mongolian bandits. _

"_Some say the girl was lost, traveled far down towards south to reunite his family, and her father traveled to the North to search for his beloved daughter. Once reunited about a day, a Khan bandit from Mongolia, released an arrow and penetrated the girl's heart._"

Shen's right eye reflected with light red, dripping under his cheek. "_When did the girl pass on?_" He hardly inquired as his throat lifted. Lady Muqin watched her son combine heartbreak with sorrow.

"_Twenty years after the Desolation of Qing Temple._" Lady Muqin replied.

Young Shen's mother continued further after inhaling. "_This song has the meaning of meeting a long lost family member. The goose musician wished to embrace his daughter's spirit while he and his musicians played — wishing to live among the Spirit World where all the souls of warriors and innocent people. Before his death, his musicians vowed to pass the music to many generations. Many say the father lives where his daughter passed on, and so he _did."

Lady Muqin eyed on his son's whole face as if Shen kept his tears withdraw and beak trembling. Neither of he and every young could contemplate this sorrowful tale — the albino wished that the missing girl and father's sacrifice would have never happened. Muqin's son looked up to her. "_If we all grow old together, does that mean when you and father passed on — will I be able to see you?_"

"_Oh, my sweet child,_" Lady Muqin palmed her chest, bowing her knee ahead of Shen, "_you will, Shen. When you become Lord of Gongmen someday, having a Lady beside you, consider this prospering, heaven song. Close your eyes. While these musicians illuminate the middle of the verse rhythm, our souls never leave you. —_"Muqin's feather softly pressed toward her son's heart. "— _Right here._"

* * *

The albino opened his eyes, relieving to his historical memory he wished to become young, fix every mistake he had done, would never want to let many people in all of China turn against him. He would allow the past bury, promising to meet his family again in the afterlife instead of faults, including blames that Shen ventured.

One of the people trained at Shen; the peacock held his long breath in exhaustion. The white tiger shut his eyes and bobbed his head with a simultaneous gesture of greeting, wanting to make sure the peacock face no threat or have his teacher's colleague stand beside him. Lord Shen nodded at Xing in return, and the Nine's Leader glanced up toward the rooftop.

Yellow eyes popped with its near gloomy form of clouded fur, towering as Xing peered at the appearance well. Xing pondered if this student could decide to reveal the people's fear in public, or loved to break the Dragon Warrior's party. Worse than any as if the dark figure with gold eyes glaring at the party, the white tiger followed his look toward Po and Tigress.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

— _**Now that should be hard to miss about our old friend's golden eyes as many warriors tend not to speak the leopard's name. And thank the blessings, we all need to see him briefly, but we **_**will**_** get our boy in the game. (I swear it by the Old Gods and New!)**_

— _**I use the scroll's title "A Song of the Great War" as it references the Game of Thrones series "A Song of Ice and Fire." **_

— _**Melancholy Sky and Earth is the song I've searched on YouTube as the background of it reveals the Peach Tree on the rocky-dirt cliff, and underneath it, was lava veins and dark smoke scorching the terrain. So as that goes when listening to it, I would use this song's reference, plus the tale as Lord Shen has heard it before during his younger days.  
**_

— _**Not so good at those patterns of the instruments, but as far as I can do how it **_**sounds. **_**Hopefully, if anyone has good experience of instrument sounds, punch a PM to help Gray!**_

—_**'all might be wondering how and if these villains are coming over to my book's sequel, knowing all three of them are dead in canon. As promise from Gray here, there will be reasons having Tai Lung, Shen, and Kai in my fic series. Second chances aren't that easy as they are challenging to prove their redemption — so as the other that all three would possibly face the mystery aside a redemption story.  
**_

— _**That's all for now, and happy writing from KFP hardcore fan!**_


	5. Surrounding Shadows

**_Featuring these chapters soon to release this October, I announce this author's note that I will be working my sequel book without publishing after Gray releases the seventh chapter. _**

**_Let's begin! _**

**_-GrayZeppelin_**

* * *

_Chapter V_

_Surrounding Shadows_

The crescent moon peeked behind the faded, glowing clouds; the crocodile slammed his ax to the log. Chopped the woods in half, Fung positioned the pole he breathed and sighed in exhaustion. His new life's work Fung desired to build a new home for not only himself but to his former gangs that part of the family they wished. And their wish progressed what lied ahead of Fung — the reconstruction bamboo house he and his family built. Half nearly done on sides, roof covered in branches, additionally combined with leaves.

After a terrible battle dealing with the Prince of Darkness in Gongmen City, Fung and his people left the tragedy without reminding their kung fu companions. They never needed to tell them of their absence as their giant cousin of Fung, Lidong, were the alpha's closest brotherhood, sacrificed. They were grieving as they retreated Gongmen City while crocodiles carried Lidong across the endless west of scorching desert to steep mountains of Qinling.

Their leader planned this winter survival by having Fung and every crocodile gather bamboo branches for building structures, leaves for the roof, and wet clay to spread the construction, making the exact structures from the valleys, Fung reminisced.

Light steps next to Fing's right side approached. "You are not going to the Dragon Warrior's party, right?"

Fung repeatedly carried his ax and slammed one-hundredth log; the log shredded its wooden flesh that stopped the crocodiles' alpha. "I wanted to, Gary," Fung confessed, looking into his old friend's eyes. "I suck at talking to people. You know, a word _socialize_ that you can speak with people out there?"

Gahri rolled his head. "Same here, mate," he agreed, before gesturing at the reconstruction of the bamboo house, which was stacked and placed a few large poles by a small pack of Fung's crocodiles. "Look at our home. Look at us. We nearly build a bamboo house. After everything we did since we lost our cousin and left Gongmen City."

Fung's nostrils made a thick sigh. "Lidong didn't deserve to die, Gary," he shook in miserably. "He guarded me in front of that bear who helped the Ox guy before going after the white tiger."

The crocodile's alpha tossed his ax beside the chopped tree, snatching and hurling the small wooden block toward the branches. He sat on the cut tree, his lips curling upward. "My cousin… he was my family," Fung mumbled.

"_Our_ family, Fung," Gahri corrected him, not to be annoying in front of Fung's presence as both still in grieving. His left knee bent to the sloppy grass ahead of Fung. "Lidong did it because he had to help our friends. We never asked for joining the guys fighting against bandits, but we accepted a volunteer to help out the panda and his friends. Fung, I see you sitting on that porch, near the cliff, and that stone at the bamboo forest all alone."

Fung sniffed his nose harder. Eyes shattered, both hands pressed against Fung's closing eyes, bending his back forward. "I can't do it anymore!" he depressed, his voice going stiff to a whimpering cry.

"Listen to me, Fung. Lidong is with us in our hearts," Gahri palmed Fung's back, gesturing his center, which any loved ones you know from the pictures and memories within your head, you touched your only heart. "You and I both know that."

Depression was too much to witness this loss of a family member if one who was killed and before murdered, did not say goodbye. No one was ready to die, especially Lidong; he would have prevented the bear she nearly murdered Fung and the crocodile gangs. For over a hundred times, Fung watched his cousin's dead eyes, the ax plunged behind him, and his voice sobbed. Fung breathed and exhaled. "The kid was there, Gahri. The boy who saved us all."

"Who, the tiger?"

"Yes. Xing almost found me." Fung roughly sniffed, his fingers rubbing the clogged mucus. "I couldn't get close to meet him, Gahri —" his hands blocked both eyes, bending his whole body forward. "— I need _help_."

"You might try meditation."

"It _won't _work." Fung flared his eyes at Gahri.

"It _helps_." Gahri calmed him in such advice. His claw patted Fung's back. "You can meet the boy later unless you wanna see the Dragon Warrior."

Fung's narrow orbs met his companion. "You know the Five won't invite us in." He shook. Many crocodile gangs knew the rule that if they could enter into any villages, the Masters could ruin their party by stopping them from robbing yens, robbing the people's belongings, intimidating the innocents.

The moonlight seemed gloomy enough to let your hand cover the lamp's light bulb. Most of the trees began meeting the thick darkness, soft winds ghostly murmuring. "We better get inside. There's a storm coming."

Nodding at Gahri, Fung rose and joined him. "Hey. Why are the torches blew off?"

Fung's query puzzled Gahri, who let one of his eyes lift and turn to his shoulder. As Gahri did follow Fung's observation, half of the torches behind the bamboo house, and the inner windows shut their embers. The surroundings seemed to join the dark webs, the top of bamboo trees hollowed to a ghostly quietness. The whispering winds behind them hollered.

"Guys?" Fung called out the gangs, and the moonlight behind the clouds tinged. He and Gahri spotted more than four reptiles swim their heads into confusion. They calmly sprinted over the construction; Fung and Gahri on the stairs inclined as they both held their torches. Most of the gaps of these bamboo logs hardly thickened its surroundings as if the shadows clawed the whole body.

Many crocodiles' eyes darted at the near-impossible sight of the thickening shadows. A mid-size crocodile in light green baggy pants and kilt of armor waist, Irwin, stood ahead of the house. As Irwin stepped in between four and seven steps toward dissipated log that ripped in half and laid there, his torch had flagged to a halt, the tips of the fire hushing.

"Who goes there?" Irwin demanded at the surrounding shadow.

The whispering winds behind Irwin and the house ghostly howled. There was no answer.

There was no one skulking behind trees, behind branches, or any of the lanterns to light within the dark. For a moment, Fung's feet stumbled with short reaction, springing his heels. The wind that whispered deafened its low pitch of shattering sticks. Torches cracked while enlightening the sea of shadows. Breaths went rough under every reptile's throat.

"It's quiet," Gahri whispered with a warning.

_No shit._ Fung could have spoken as the sea of blackness sensed the presence of his stumbling breath. Irwin's torch dimmed and glowed with a dying star. Within his chest, the heart quietly raced through his veins and one hand that grasped the light. From a further distance, howling leaves echoed.

Irwin's torch shortened its fire, painting his frightening face to black; the embers were singeing its red and white dots. The fade scorch followed theirs.

Gahri and Fung from the window watched Irwin quietly crouch and wield the spear. Their follower bent his fighting stance and moved. The bamboo forest which engulfed with blackness swallowed him.

"Irwin?!" Gahri roared.

No answer from Irwin.

Fung's heart began thundering louder. In between the small logs of the bamboo, a fast arrow soundlessly bolted amid Fung and Gahri's side. The gray fletchings made a rough cut on Fung's right cheek. The cheek cut stung him like the edge of the paper sliced the skin of your index finger. A short gasp within the webs vibrated. Skulking behind the bamboo structure while grunting, Fung caught a loud thud which wooden sticks shattered and leaves waved.

Irwin's body became stiff. The arrow struck one crocodile's left eye, and the other bolted the reptile's throat. "Get down!" Fung screamed, swiveling in the corner.

The fletchings whispered like butterfly wings. Uneasy to catch the arrow zipped could get a deadly problem. Perhaps the arrow improvement to quiet down the quiver while shooting?

Both Gahri and Fung steadied their ax weapons. From outside of the bamboo construction, three crocodile bandits screeched, their hatchets fetching into the shadow. Three blades returned, and only two of them ducked behind the bamboo trees. The middle one pelted the reptile's head with a nasty sound of flesh bones shredding apart.

Gahri yelped.

The bolt whirred as he peeked and ducked. His head burnt with a small slice above him. "Can't you see who's firing?!" Gahri roared, skulking and covered his wound.

"Damn if I know!" Fung peeked. One black arrow with silent fletchings seared his cheek with an accurate shot. He luckily covered back. "OW! It's too dark out there!"

"RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!" Gahri ordered, and they ran down the stairs.

They, including both crocodiles behind them, dashed. "Get to the Valley of Peace! Warn the Five!" Fung frightened, dodging the black arrows which quietly bolted next to bamboo trees.

Sliding down to the gap where the giant bridge log perched underneath, Fung snatched the roots and jerked forward. Whirring sounds combined with chains and ball, twisted one crocodile's legs Wong on top of the log bridge grunted and fell, grunting. "WONG!" Gahri cried.

Many whirring chains smashed against the branches and bamboo logs elsewhere and behind the running crocodiles. One frightening reptile, Walleye, slid his feet, returned to Wong, who crawled both claws he sharply screamed. Three black arrows punctured Wong's back — one in each hit, splashed his spine, the neck, and the end of his neck, the tip of the arrow spitting with gore to his whole mouth.

"NO!"

"WALLEYE, _RUN_!"

As Walleye withdrew, five arrows nearly hit his eyes; two left above dead Wong's head, and the other three pierced the roots of the bamboo log. Burning his lungs, Fung raced down to the steep path and swiveled away from thick bamboos, which these gaps seemed tiny and impossible to fit. He and Gahri observed Walleye retreat to the east. And as Walleye did sprint, he was unseen as if the shadows thickened the surroundings over him.

Gahri and Fung skulked farther, and behind the trees, their companion sharpened his scream, while amid his throbbing cry, the trees engulfed and shut his agony.

"Split up, Fung! You go to Jade Palace, and I will lead them away!" Gahri dared in a whispering tone.

Fung trembled his frightening head. "No!"

"Just go," he murmured. Cooling his fast, panting breath, Gahri swiveled to the side and waved both claws toward the sky. "HEY! I'M RIGHT HERE, BASTARDS!"

Quiet arrows whizzed and missed where Gahri maneuvered and sprinted toward downside to the left. The distraction was far bravery that you could survive when outnumbered by stealth or chasers; one of your allies had to get their attention and chase him/her. Painful to watch your partner run into the dangerous path and enemies follow, you only have to be free from being captured/getting killed alive.

Stealthy figures like shadow cloaks or dark garments armor followed behind Gahri, who faintly shouted far, and far as he went. Both his scream and the rest of rushing, breaking leaves and sticks went silent. There were too many whoever slaughtered Fung's people — his men he had known them. Everywhere else seemed gloomy and rustled breeze in the Bamboo Forest. His eyes caught a high ridge; it held the temple beside the steep mountain. The crocodile knew precisely where to go without an option: save yourself and warn the Jade Palace masters. His small feet slowed him down; Fung ducked in all fours and began sprinting. Running as quiet as he could into the bamboo trees, it whispered deathly. Breaths panted, leaves crushed, and branches tore from his hands and feet running.

Small sparkles banged behind him. The other was the ball and chain; it spun around the tree. The sparks and chains went fast. Fung stayed his head forward while running. Another swift sound on his right flapped its red fire and pierced the tree. A fire arrow. _Darn! These guys are gonna kill me!_ Over the hills, as he went on without stopping, his right leg slid on the dirt and rolled behind the thick bamboo trees it bonded close.

The crocodile's panting breath burnt his lungs, rising and falling his whole chest before trembling from his head. He crawled backward, sidling his back against the bamboo logs. His eyes peeked to the left side; snapping sticks and leaves approached closer. Fung wondered who were the bandits trying to kill him and his buddies. His orbs swiftly swam onto sides as if the gloomy lands and trees were hard to glimpse at anyone in the dark; only the soft midnight horizon beamed down.

"Gahri!" he murmured, his voice was trembling, fingers fiddling with racing veins without his tremble Fung wondered the bamboo forest to search Gahri and the rest of his crocodile families. Sounds were you could hear: his panting breath, snapping branches, leaves brushing against the grass and dirt, fast heartbeat.

He murmured in loud, anxious to Gahri. And the red torch enlightened.

The light peeked out of the thick bamboo trees to Fung's left side. He quietly crouched and pulled back behind the bamboo sticks that bounded a more impenetrable wall. Fung loomed his head to the side. The torch lid closer toward him.

Fung covered his nostrils and throat, whimpering. The water deer in a red sleeveless vest browsed the torch across the bamboo sticks, squinting both of glittering eyes - this stranger only had one fang. The bandit ghostly growled as the deer walked forward.

Fung's head pulled back and crawled against the bamboo sticks slowly. He knew Fung could get the bandits' attention if loudly whispered to Gary again. His eyes zoomed ahead of the bank that reflected from the horizon, soft and saturated dirt nearby. The river. _Yes! _Fung peeked his head from the bamboo sticks. His eyes observed the dark gray yaks and two brown deer; each wore chest armor with a fire emblem. They wielded crossbows and edgy ax blades.

_The Fire Clan?!_

The black arrow shot and struck on Fung's hat. He avoided. His legs tripped to the bank and splashed into the depths. A loud splash brought the locals' attention, shouting and dashing at the river.

The brown deer scurried on the edgy bank as if the surface went quiet. Ripples broke from the splash, and the deer triggered the crossbow liver. Not only one arrow fired, but two— five bolts launched.

Under the soft ripples, Fung swam, the black arrows whooshed with black rain. His air within his whole mouth almost billowed a small, terrifying bubble. He dove and swam. Many foams that shaped like a vicious claw from arrows almost clenched — the tip of the arrow fingers mauled his back about an inch and missed.

Breaking the flow while swimming side to rumble his body as the crocodile zigzag, Fung soared below the mirage surface of breaking calm water. Behind him, the bolts were raining, and the splashes angrily slammed. To his right after breathing out of the water, a grimace-looking head with specks of crimson eyes shook its feet as it strolled.

_Run! RUN!_

Fung mounted the bank and entered the thick bamboo branches. He turned in random ways wherever the gaps could fit him instead of trapping. The shouts grew behind him, drawing closer to expect more bandits. The crocodile spawned out of the thronging bamboo logs and arrived as the opened-hilly grassland with a giant stone rock perching on the tip of the other hillside. The steep mountain which the top of it stood alone, was the Jade Palace. Fung wanted to sprint within the boundary, despite —

The violent shock soared behind, spat its red arrow toward the bandit's left knee; Fung shrieked and crashed on the stony surface. Paining in horror, Fung brushed his right torso. The bolt sliced a small, and deep cut. His head peeked and shook from the female's giant chuckle. Fung's legs gathered from the black sashes, wrapping in violent, and shattered his right ankle.

The ankle joint snapped. "NOO!" Fung bellowed his cry, clenching his teeth. "MY ANKLE! PLEASE, DON'T KILL ME!"

The shadows swam out of the forest. The figure spawned its enormous silky tinge fur and short legs, strolling forward. The blackness shredded its face figure of the bear, glaring its red eyes.

It wore a scathing armor with a purple belt on the waist. Nostrils bent, and the lips curl into wickedness. The bear in black chuckled wickedly.

"FUNG!" Gahri cried from nowhere. Fung glimpsed at his left, and his old friend dashed in frightening. Arriving at Fung, Gahri brought his iron hatchet from the right side of his brown belt, guarding next to the helpless and painfulness crocodile against the black bear in defiance. "Get away from him, you _wupo_!"

"**Oh, yes. Everybody **_**says **_**about me.**" The bear in black surprised, her tone monotonously chimed. Behind her, a pack of the Fire Clan bandits, three deer, and two brown and black yaks. "**I am Phantom. Huoju's Commander, his secondary leader, and your cousin's _murderer_.**"

Each of her forbidding words announcing ahead of the poor crocodiles, Fung could feel his cuts, and his breaking ankle flared too close to the camping fire, to him begging to be away from this menacing wupo.

"**I discern losses you mourn. Even in your cousin's stupidity action, he boldly defended you and Huoju's opponent. His death was unforgiving,**" Phantom shared her sympathy tone, half threatening as her fingers fiddled, her pointy nails sparkling like a candle. "**You see, I could give you Lidong's resurrection, for you and your family to find the list of warriors I **_**hunt**_**.**"

Gahri's nostril-bridge bent. "My mum always said not to deal with the mon—!"

"**A monster? Little children — **" the bear rolled her head, including her smirking lips stretched to the side. "**— Taking the advice from his and her parents. I **_**respect **_**that.**" Her chin leveled toward the average height as her eyes fancied Fung. "**Indeed, you are mother's boy —" **and she met Gahri, who guarded his ax, aiming toward any sudden movements from her, "— **and you are the father's boy who is unworthy of deciding his family's legacy.**"

Phantom cheered with a wicked laugh; her pack joined this sinister chuckle. The black bear hungrily glared at Fung. "**Too bad she would not like to see you suffer here, and that was the proper thing your mother is in the Spirit Realm, sobbing your pain she hears.**"

Phantom's claw clenched and dragged her ribbon shadows, which wrapped over Fung's ankle and whole leg. The stripe tightened and sensed a soft crack within the joint. "OW, PLEASE DON'T!" Fung sharpened his agonizing bawl.

"LET HIM GO!" Gahri dared and raised his shaft.

One bandit, a grim-looking bunny with silky lips and nasty scar in between his muzzle, aimed and triggered the bow leverage; the black arrow cut Gahri's wrist, letting the shaft fall near his foot. "**Guide me towards the closest village, this sanctuary palace where these motherless keepers reside orphans - The creature who had escaped the past from savage. And this time, when finding a child and son of mortal-bastard, there can be only salvation from this treacherous country that has been blessed for centuries. You**** have three seconds.**" Phantom threatened as her ribbons attached her gripping claw.

"Children are living in that place, you witch! Think about the Furious Five will avenge those innocents!" Gahri angered.

"**One." **

"The resistance will catch you all! Perhaps we should get hurt instead of the Masters!"

"**Two." **

"We have a family! Fung's all I got! PLEASE! NO-NO-N-N— !"

A wild wind whirred along with dangling chains somewhere to Phantom's right. The sash ripped in half as if a green blade stirred and plunged the grass, the knife slicing the soil; it drew many bandits away. The links yet snapping with smaragdine snaps stumbled the bear's leg, and she fell; the blade returned to its mighty owner who walked out of the bamboo forest, with power-hungry green eyes glowering at her.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_

— _**We have the Jade Slayer (in Tony Stark's defensive voice).**_

— _**Since I am into the Horror genre, even though I am a massive fan of Stephen King, I might be using my strategy to maintain light and dark.  
**_

— _**Yes. My female villain Phantom will be the main issue of the series, for now on. Her arc shall reveal the inception before becoming Huoju's Commander. Ultimately, Phantom is one, mean Lady I remind her elemental personality of Cersei Lannister.  
**_

— _**An easy easter egg you spotted a water deer with a jade tooth? She's now one of my favorites! And unfortunately, she'll only be part of a cameo in the series for now. **_

— _**Don't go anywhere! This fight has already begun in the next chapter!**_


	6. A Night To Remember, Part One

_Behold our Mightiest Warrior companion!_

_\- GrayZeppelin_

_10/15/2019_

* * *

_Chapter VI_

_A Night To Remember, Part One_

"_**You. . .**_" The black bear pointed at the mighty bull, rising from the meadow.

The collector illuminated his green eyes. "Did you miss me," Kai spun his chains over his bulky arms and snatched both jade knives, "_teddy bear_?"

Phantom growled under her throat — she hated for those who kept calling names toward her. Her paw hurled the shadow ribbons and the mighty guarded in a criss-cross, deflecting the glooms it struck half of the bandits behind the black bear. Fung and Gahri ahead of the black bear dashed away into the thick bamboo forest.

The rabbit with left eye patch hollered, and his paw triggering his crossbow. He and the other two archers fired — Kai sidestepped when maneuvering both blades he backflipped among the air, and both of his feet smashed an open field where the bandits stood. All three flew away.

Phantom rushed to Kai's side and pivoted her golden dragon dagger and pointy flame blade. Guarding against every blow from the bear as she hammered to both sides, Kai booted her toward the stone. As she flipped and rolled back up, Phantom timorously gasped. The Mighty clenched the stone rock, springing into the air and hurled it to her.

The stone streaked her into the northern bamboo forest, sticks, and branches shattering from the fall. For a moment, on all fours, General Kai galloped into the trace line of breaking bamboo trees where Phantom fell. Every third-pace of his sharpened his exhale. While arriving there shortly, his green eyes scanned only smaragdine paths but thick branches, and most of the unease meadows enlightened by the moonlight.

A shadow which shaped like long ribbons behind the stone, it snapped, and the bear roared, launching the rock toward Kai. The collector carved the stone in half and bowled forward.

Red eyes glowered at the green eyes. Phantom regarded one light underneath Kai's neck. She recognized the rarety necklace before. Kai's necklace dimmed its scarlet light — the figure which crafted the sorrowfulness face was Huoju's she-ox sister. _Wugu. _

"**The necklace of yours is waste. I expect you to mourn Wugu.**" Phantom spoke, her voice was toning with solemn and flat.

And why would Kai sorrow more now when he had lost his beloved wife in centuries ago? He would not let a single tear stream onto his cheek as he had been through the sheds — with only one fatal fire, he witnessed Wugu burn in the house, his world was full of ashes. The mighty warlord darkly chuckled while both hooves revolved his chains. "You sorrow your lover." He fired back with a grim look. With one blade, he pointed it to Phantom, who steadied her fighting stance. "Did Huoju tear you apart?"

"**Did your wife leave you?**"

"Too bad for you and me." Kai shook his head, snickering. "The puny Ox princess is gone. So that case: I have a business to claim."

Behind Kai as the black bear looked at beyond the trees and behind thick logs, many green eyes popped open. Six jombies (mountain leopard, two yaks, wolf, and two badger twins) appeared and readied. The twins armed their long, glassy green sticks, nodding.

The black bear clenched her left claw as her silky fur grew bold, and her back was brushing with the cold flow. "**Which is?**"

"_Yours_."

And all hell broke loose. Phantom reached out her claw; she bolted shadow ribbons. Kai leaped and spun above it — jombies diverged to sides as the rapid shadow lines sliced branches. Phantom began clouting her dagger and pointy metal against Kai's swift jade swords, which striking to her arm sides. She deflected one sword where her left cheek was, and Phantom clenched Kai's wrist, slamming him to the ground.

Dodging the pointy metal that almost darted his head, Kai wobbled to the left. The mountain leopard sprang behind her with a sharp roar. Its fangs bit under her neck.

Screaming out in the open, Phantom spread her shadows; it slipped jombie cat away. The bite wound with a nasty scratch behind her back seared with red velvet gore.

The collector held his sparkling green hoof ahead of the black bear. "Bring her to me!" Kai commanded his jombies.

As the jombies did into diversion as the twins mounted long and thick bamboo branches, Phantom elbowed the bulky yak with a missing pinky to its right hoof. She lifted her foot and booted the wolf's pole, striking the lupine's muzzle into a flying blow — Kai felt the wolf's muzzle cracking apart. The badger twins leaped and flew down to the black bear.

Without aware of her tough situation when focusing the yak thrusting him into the downhill, Phantom hurriedly eyed on both badgers' glassy bamboo sticks shaping X, and they hammered her head. The ding sound made fierce as the bamboo poles shattered. Another yak with Mongolian scathe chest armor locked over the bear's inner throat, lifting her to face the collector who ambled nearby.

The twins spread the bear's arms. The wolf behind the jombies galloped its rope dart, trapping Phantom's legs. "This will be all over soon." Kai menaced. Both hooves of his reached out against her.

Trembling to stand still as all jombies wrestled the bear's movement, Phantom thundered her shout. Her shadows around her illuminated with dark purple velvet, becoming more glimmer as she clenched both jombies. The surroundings banged and every jombie standing when wrestling around the bear, shredded many glass bodies into a thousand pieces.

Kai drove back as he guarded himself against the blinding purple blast. "They were my _valuable_ warriors from the Spirit Realm!"

"**Not anymore!**" she taunted.

The Mighty drew his knives, spinning the chains and hurling them towards the bear. Phantom rolled down after dodging. He jerked the links and let it whirl under his leg while stomping — the black bear plunged her pointy metal forward; Kai leaped and spiraled above her, avoiding the sharp stab. He and Phantom thwacked both swords, wrestling against themselves in dear life and death.

Kai's chi hammered under the bear's chest, and Phantom's dark chi did the same, delivering powerful blows that they staggered back. The bull oscillated his chains; the blades swayed down to her head. The bear sidestepped in each of the blade hammering. But the chains engulfed both of her arms after Kai waved the links in a circular motion. He pulled and launched above her; the collector's right hoof knife-palmed at the bear's head and Phantom's forearms guarded.

The strength which empowered the slam thundered her head and her feet crashing the uneven dirt — the ground shook threateningly. When observing Phantom staggering her feet and head, Kai sprang and delivered a fist blow to her upper chest, flying her into the bamboo hills, she wrecked many sticks. She crashed down the log and tumbled her head to one of the giant roots.

Kai ran into the western forest, jerking the chains back to him. The shadow trails seemed growing cold as if yet warming scent to the black bear the bull was following, dissipated quickly. Deep down into the hills with thick trees in which the breaking glass was shining among the horizon, Kai surveyed at the crash site where the black bear fell, his sinus breathing heavily. She was not around or close as he tracked the scent of the bear's sweat and fur farther.

He heard tiny, haste to his left. A one-eyed rabbit jumped in between the logs.

"You stinky parasite!" the one-eyed rabbit screamed.

The Mighty guarded his sword and deflected the rabbit's double-kick, springing him off course. The bandit tumbled to the small hollow under the hill; Kai jolted his head into perplexing. "A rabbit pirate?" he asked, sounding — _Are you kidding me?_ — tone with curiosity. "Why so small and such bravery?"

The rabbit gave his head a hateful, glare at the bull, popping his fingers. "Because I'll cake your teeth!" the rabbit snapped. "COME ON!"

As the small rabbit hurtled towards Kai's thick legs, the mighty stood still. Letting the rabbit crawl and bite all over him, Kai felt nothing but soft pinches — gray fur, neck, long mane, and his belly as Kai was tickling, holding his chuckle under his breath.

"One tiny bunny. One worthless pirate. I think I'll invite your soul to my collection."

"YEAH?! WELL, _EAT ME_!" the rabbit cursed when munching the bull's whole belly.

"Okay."

Kai clenched the rabbit's long ears. With the spread of his lips, Kai clawed his glowing green hoof against the loudmouth rabbit's chest. The bandit no longer pitched his scream as the golden ripples around the rabbit absorbed and shifted to a jade amulet, revealing one, mean bunny bandit with eye-patch. "I like _this _one." He said with a gruff tone.

Just as the mighty was satisfying the small figure, the steps behind him met the branch sticks shattering. It wasn't Phantom's feet as she would have torn the field. Four eyes of jombies appeared — most of the badger twin bodies cracked, including their muzzles, revealing bright green shatters. "Praise the gods!" Kai simpered. "Find the rest of her bandits and bring them to me. This battle won't take _long_."

One of the twins nodded, and they dashed, bouncing against the logs. Two yaks (brown and black) underneath the twins charged when roaring and three deer threw their spears, crafted with metal flames. The twins dug, flipped forward, and towered their glassy sticks, spinning in upside down. Both yaks yet approached closer toward the unstoppable spinning kicks the twins advanced; both yaks were struck toward the opposite direction and hammered their heads, knocking out cold.

Two deer bandits slipped their blades, and the badgers jumped, dodging the encounter. Big buck lashed his spiky stick against the left badger, while the other twin bashed his pole behind him. One buck with a missing right antler bowled forward after the right badger slipped his stick. The left uppercutted the tall — the right sliced one poor deer's chest.

As Kai at yards away squinted his jade eyes, the badger twins went berserk.

The left twin spun his stick, hammering the brown yak's forehead. The black yak behind the cattle stormed and lifted his battle-ax. The right twin reached out his staff, and his brother's stick guarded underneath the blades. One badger skidded behind the giant's ankles, and the other flipped forward, hammering his pole into the black yak's muzzle.

"MY NOSE!" the black cattle covered his whole nose. Rolling to his right as the shout from Kai commanding the jombies to send Phantom's bandits, the yak bandit shrieked as both his ankles crushed. The twins hurled him, and General Kai absorbed the yak's chi.

Four screams later, while Kai gathered his new amulets, the twins followed their master. The scent was fading the Mighty raced on all fours as he could determine the black bear was running far. Searching would not be long now — the twins were agile enough to fit through thin gaps as he let the twins enter the bamboo forest; Kai threw both blades, slicing every bamboo to his way.

* * *

Gahri continued to hold Fung's arm over his back, fleeing for their lives. The branches and swiveling leaves copied the shouts, which Kai was first and tree logs tearing apart.

Fung grunted. "We better get to Jade Palace!"

"Those _jombies_ will block our path!" Gahri told him, guiding him and Fung in the opposite direction. Farther behind the crocodiles while running, Trees cracked as the roots pulled away, ripping the terrain where it all stood. Struggling to sprint against the cobble bayou when crossing, Gahri and Fung jerked forward without slowing down, their feet plunging.

"Stop, please! Put me down there!" the alpha winced. His whole foot severed the bone within, almost too delicate when not being careful to yourself. The ankle had displaced to where it was usually after the bear's ribbon twisted his foot.

Gahri did what he was told to do when he supported Fung lying against thick bamboo logs. Roars from where they ran from, thundered as if Gahri's fingers trembled with hast, thundering his soft heart while examining Fung's dislocated ankle.

Fung pressed his claw against Gahri's heart. "You will get there fast _without _me!"

"No!"

Fung grunted, straightening his back using his other leg. "You must go!"

"I'm _NOT _leaving you behind!" he cried.

A thud sound landed on Gahri's left side. Between the glooms and moon leaves of bamboo logs, the figure with two fluff ears loomed. Without hesitation to find anything defensive without any weapon of choice, Gahri rotated his high kick, breaking one bamboo stick to a pointy pole. "Who are you?!" he clenched the bamboo, squinting at the figure who approached with a single step. "Take another step, and you'll end up dying like those bandits back there!"

The moon from the shadow clouds which emerging away like a straw hat ripping apart illuminated its crepuscular twilight to where they were and Fung immediately surprised to see this familiar bandit. A water deer with a broken fang revealed.

"Your friend's ankle is losing his blood. He needs to get a recovery, fast!" the water deer urged. The voice was harsh, combined with womanly boldness and care.

"No way, woman!"

The deer flicked her floppy ears back. "Would you want to see your friend suffering tomorrow? You _need_ help!"

The walloping blow was cracking like the wind shrieking behind the crocodiles. Both figures of gray bull and black bear soared among the trees and into the air — Kai was the one first threw his uppercut and sprang, chasing her. Falling as if not gliding the flight among the sky towards the west, Phantom growled while all four of her limbs whirled.

Kai ahead of Phantom arrived first. One hoof battered under the bear's belly as the other did the same — repeatedly giving hard blows. Kai clobbered his final fifth punch to her jaw.

Phantom spun backward as she screamed; the mighty bull swung his arms back, diving. His gray cape was whirling as the breeze to both of his ears raged. Approaching the black bear who shocked after her tenth flip, Kai revolved to one side, and his right foot slugged Phantom's whole head, leading her with rapid falls toward the upper mountain cliff.

_Get your stinky, glassy paws off me, you damn, dirty jombies!_

These unfamiliar voices were interfering within his head. Kai began speculating one of his jade badger twins, giving a rich view of his soldier guarding and thrusting the pole against Fung's neck.

"Who the gods name one of my special soldiers?!" Kai demanded as he could see the poor crocodile bandit springing his back with a yelp.

_Hey, both of them are talking!_ Fung startled.

_Which one?!_ Gahri insisted.

A female growl diving ahead of the jombies was the water deer spinning her kicks. The twin clouted her ribcage, leading her to fall beside the river bank.

Gahri, diving his head by another twin who took a swing close to the reptile's neck, tackled the badger by simply slicing his shaft to the jombie's head. The glass was too thick as the blade of it became thin and sharp, but now the metal had shattered, and half of the grip breaking in half.

The badger on the dirt gave a silent glare. _Shit!_ Gahri gasped, before a twin near Fung, spiraling his jade pole, thwacked Gahri's head, knocking him out cold.

"GAHRI!" Fung sobbed, but the badger pressed his stick against Fung's whole neck, restraining his resisting movement, including his breath.

"You are one of the panda's friends. I have a proposition for you." The badger spoke in Kai's intimidating tone.

Phantom clawed the rocky steppe and clenched against the roots, which lined up with many plants over the towering cliff. Beside her was the waterfall storming its misty cloud to the lake below her. Her pupils painted to a threatening violet color of the horizon's dawn, browsing to her right as he could hear the low echo voices down into the trees.

For a second, the bear was odd to witness this gray bull talking to himself as if both of his jade eyes remained illuminated. "Whether you like it or not, you will bring _them_ to me." Phantom overheard the mighty General.

_Who are _them_ you are hunting? That doesn't matter now._

Phantom rapidly stretched out her pointy blade, her shadow ribbon snatching the bull's feet. Startling to look down but too late to dodge, Kai was jerking away as he yelped. Gripping her fabric, Phantom shoved him upward toward the edgy structure, slamming him above the cliff.

Letting the shadows swarm over his chains and disarm away from Kai, the black bear jerked herself, reaching to the edge and twisted her agility body, her left foot clouting Kai's head the bull was kneeling to rise.

Kai flipped his cape to his left as it was blinding his sight ahead — Phantom advanced and flew her fist toward him. His bulky wrist guarded up against the intense blow, and his other limb drove at her chest.

Relieving a defensive position after sliding her feet, the black bear withdrew her golden dagger. Kai was about to make his diversion move as his jade knives were behind him, but his opponent was far too aggressive. Phantom drove first, and Kai rushed ahead of her, avoiding eight slashes the black bear swiveled her weapon, hailing.

Phantom thrust her dagger toward Kai's forehead — he crossed both arms below her wrist, blocking in rigid, and pivoted his foot. Blowing her upper leg, as Phantom was wobbling, the mighty General heaved her whole left arm, which her claw had armed her dagger, forcing her to the rocky structure. Thudding, Phantom dodged her head to her back when Kai bashed his hoof at once.

With simultaneous second as he struck his hoof, somewhere next to his rib cage under, a cold, pointy metal stabbed his fur.

_Not — possible!_ Kai feared, grunting before swaying back. The shadows from Phantom's left paw battered him. Gliding his feet back with an utter diversion to sweep the shadows, Kai checked his wound, which luckily not entered one of his internal organs. Disoriented visions of his began with short glimpses of himself from another time when he flipped the table against his brother.

* * *

_General Kai strolled within the ancient bamboo library. It once stood from the Panda Village. Inside the library, the floor was brownish marble, meeting the horizon with apotheosis stars, which glimmered into spectacles. Structures were fine gold as the tears covered with pale brown lightning. The ceiling bore with both columns of dragons slithering against the top, the reptilian bodies over both squeezing pillars.  
_

_Entering the library, the Mighty warlord registered breathy mandarin voices elsewhere, which Kai caught a single word __**gōnglǜ,**__meaning "power." Warlords, such dignity and ruthless generals as they conquered the land to wipe common enemies, for those who followed their lord commander, and Mongolians they bypassed over the Great Wall. He, including his generals, wanted such being powerful enough to stand, and never let a daring warrior defy or deny orders.  
_

NO_! _

_The elder monk with long, pale Fu Manchu in draped brown kimono and straw hat, cried to the warlord. And the mighty warlord battled his tortoise brother, before Oogway's Wushi grasp vanished the bull._

* * *

"What did you do to me, woman?!" Kai snapped, grunting.

"**You see," **the black bear began with a sinister glance, **"you have interest some visioning chi from a sacred bamboo palace within. At one thousand hikes down to the northern pike, pandas monks destroyed the curse of men, but only this — **_**oracle**_** they have found before **_**you.**_**" **

Kai began clenching his teeth as the wound stung within inner nerves firing. Growling, he pressed his hoof against his injury. Phantom, giving a wicked smile, stretched out her claws; the bull's jade eyes dimmed, and him disorienting was now the black bear began satisfying to watch him struggle. **"Of course, you are no longer **_**invincible**_**, because only now, your cursed age lasts until the Year of Tiger, on June to your 55th **_**mortal **_**year."**

Kai roared and jumped, fisting forward.

Phantom snarled when pivoting the wrist and thrust her dagger under the bull's neck. Kai's other open-hoof hammered her wrist away. The pointy blade launched in between his eyes. Spinning back with mobility, Kai booted the pointy knife and the other to her jaw, flying the bear back. Crashing her back to the rocky ground, Phantom jolted her feet. The mighty warlord aimed his foot at her whole head.

Phantom walloped her foot under Kai's crotch, thrusting him away he winced. Her shadow ribbons from her claw, grasped his feet after she stood up, yanking him upward. She slammed him down, and Kai bellowed in deep agony to his whole chest. His left hoof reached out the chains ahead of him —

Shadow ribbons tangled Kai's wrists, spreading both limbs from him, reaching both jade knives. The clouds hastily swarmed the chains. Phantom caught the links, engulfing it around Kai while the other continued resisting both of his limbs. "**You remind me of Wugu's pain,**"Phantom softly snarled next to the bull's ear. "**Huoju could have pulled your eyes out to let his sister see your vision.**"

Her claw pulled the chains and the other aiming the wrist-dagger behind the bull's mane. Making tight enough to choke Kai's breath, let Phantom pull her grin. "**I know what it's like for you to have. Something much more valuable than taking the Dragon Warrior's chi, and your tortoise brother's head.**"

One of her ears flickered, and her eyes pointed to the south, where the wind made a sharp blow of the iron hammering and blade slicing. This was something the black bear being aware of this presence. Something she had _heard_ this familiar song, blessed and brushed against her heart. While Phantom unmasked her frightening look, Kai's necklace glimmered to a pink-crimson orb, with she-ox's piercing-cry casting the claw away.

Crimson surroundings swung the black bear into the air, like an iron maul slamming under the jaw. Phantom cast away to the north, wailing into the clouds.

Kai tumbled his whole body forward, rasping. The chains over him were still tangled, yet his visions began blurry with balloon sides, and his wound flared with more slices than a single stab. Most of his strengths were wasting as if him becoming frail. Underneath his neck, his necklace dimmed back to normal, crying with the husband's name Kai was easily beamed. His back drew his weight to the edgy cliff, and Kai fell beside the waterfall towards the lake. Shutting his eyes without lifting to eye on his fall, Kai only felt as he was soaring into the clouds — then a loud splash swallowed him.

Sinking deep under the surface as the moonlight ripples lid at the bull and farther away, Kai faced the surface, thinking of his time would soon pass on. _Forget Oogway. Forget the black bear. Forget for those who faced me. _Kai thought in downcast.

The surface was ripped with foams as the splash muffled. And this time, it was either the Spirit Realm he returned, or a better life Kai wished not to be disturbed once more. The bull repeatedly blinked above, making sure his vision was not in delusion. The last thing before his lids shut was a blinding, misty azure figure swimming down to him.

Everything went to black, lungs emptied and filled with water under the bull's throat. Kai lastly felt his giant right wrist band grip — firm, and small paw.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

— _**Instead of Kai watching her dead wife swim down to him, who do you think of someone's paw clenching the Mighty's hoof? Find out soon enough before the next chapter on this Friday!**_

— _**Okay. It's not entirely the best fighting of both Kai and Phantom as they opposed to themselves with emerald and dark chi abilities. Realizing that how our mighty friend either absorbed his forbidding chi that hungered (or kill) living souls or something made him a power-hungry warlord where he should not ever be at the wrong place at the wrong time.  
**_

— _**Who do y'all think has the best female voice for my princess black bear?! **__**Kate Winslet**__** with **_**I'll never let go, Jack**_**? **__**Lena Headey**__** with **_**the Mad Queen of the Seven Kingdoms**_**? Or **__**Cate Blanchett**__** with **_**Goddess of Death**_**? My boy Huoju voices as Khal Drogo, so choose his **__nǚwáng_**(queen) **_**carefully! Sorry, Khaleesi!**_

— _**We have some unfinished party business to attend to where our panda friend endlessly devours his dumplings. Move on to the next! **_


	7. A Night To Remember, Part Two

_This will be a final chapter, for now. Gray has plans to write a whole novel before going for a green light!_

_Now, back to Po's party!_

_\- GrayZeppelin_

_10/18/2019_

* * *

_Chapter VII_

_A Night to Remember, Part Two_

"By the Gods, look at _their_ faces!" Mantis surprised on Monkey's left shoulder, widening his eyes.

One-hundredth dumplings later, as Po lost count when Xing figured, both Dragon Warrior's cheeks swelled and so did to Big Fun who held his small pie hole with a hundred dumplings in his swelling cheeks. The Dumpling Challenge began earlier after Po's twin cousin Dim announced the party. Po and his challenger, Big Fun, dug their mouths wide open while their paws (one pressed against and the other grasped) gathered more than two hundred dumplings. Many around the panda challengers cheered, and one of the pigs loudly whistled to his amazement.

"You got this, Po!" Crane next to the white tiger supported.

"Get him, Big Fun!" One of the panda villagers encouraged.

The challenge was going rapid from the start, as both Po and Big Fun caught their bowls of five dumplings in each one. Now twenty dishes to their sides (as in a total of forty) towered to their heights. Most of the pandas have their records of eating most of the dumplings as if only one panda, Li Shan, got the highest record of one-hundred and three dumplings so far.

Holding his lips, which stretched all sides, Po glanced down and caught one bowl of five dumplings. "This challenge is _entertaining_!" one female villager of rabbit stunned, and the crowds roared their surprising moments. Xing, as Crane was the first who watched his tiger colleague, widened his whole mouth.

_Wow!_ Xing had only thought without a single word.

"Is this your first time seeing this challenge, Xing?" Crane asked loudly.

"The _first_!" He finally answered, still watching the pandas pressure their lips closed as soon as both continued to swell their cheeks.

The Dragon Warrior hammered his fist. "Un-Hunthred-thee, thing funs!" Po muffled.

"That's my score!" Li lifted both fists in the air.

"Can he break your record, sir?" Wolf Boss asked beside Li Shan near Shifu and Mr. Ping, now amazed.

Li Shan laughed. "No way!" he shook.

"BIG FUN CAN'T HOLD IT!"

One of the twin pandas announced, gesturing the group. Big Fun shut his eyes hard, his cheeks and head trembling with light red. The swells shrunk, and within his mouth, many dumplings rushed under his throat, and Big Fun swallowed them all, grunting and thudding against the table.

"One hundred and two!" Sim and Dum counted.

Now the crowds inclined their exciting tones even loud. The Dragon Warrior grasped both dumplings. "HE'S GONNA DO IT!" Mantis shrieked.

"DO IT!" Tigress next to her nephew dared.

"He'll never get one hundred and five!" Crane flattened both feathers on both sides of his face.

"Is anyone got the highest record after one hundred and three?!" Viper gasped.

"No one hasn't!" A goose messenger Zeng ahead of the Furious Five answered.

The whole crowd was witnessing with silence, but Po's grunting voice. His thought indeed timed to let the panda swallow many, but to his second thought, he could go further insanely. _I better get to it!_ Po slightly opened his struggling lips and darted both dumplings in without hesitation.

"One hundred and five!" Mantis announced, but now the people awed as their breaths stopped engulfing into their lungs. Po lifted and slammed the table, the bowl spinning backward it placed on top of his towering plates. His swallow was rougher, which his throat spread the swell and his belly. And the Dragon Warrior reached out the air.

"WE GOT A NEW RECORD!"

The horde of villagers and masters boomed their supportive acclaims after Monkey's announcement. Panting with rough exhaustion from whole dumplings after swallowing, Po grinned at many crowds before finally glanced at Tigress, who nodded with closing her eyes simultaneously. Beside her, her nephew kept his whole mouth open along with Crane, who did the same, but widened even more than Xing — their unbelievable expressions shared their thoughts of — _By the gods! —_ when meeting their eyes to themselves.

An hour went by to Po's party, going soft while Po had helped by his two dads, placing every table and chair to where they belong. Mantis pivoted as he hurled the bowls while Monkey above the restaurant caught them at each three (including one for his tail). Wolf Boss speaking Li Shan near the entrance to the left, was enlightened to keep in touch for him and the panda more instead of faults to blame. Chuckling, Li Shan, and Zhong shook their paws with respective nods.

Moments later, both Tigress and Xing strolled down near the Jade Palace stairway as if the time they determined, soon to be late as usual after their discussion for the white tiger returning to Jade Palace for further investigation by watching him discipline his thoughts, even while being this _white dragon_ inside him. The Nine now rode on the Valley of Peace boatman toward the western river, and Masters of Jade Palace started back to Jade Palace.

* * *

_**Midnight**_

Tigress held both scent sticks close to the middle of the intricate rug after she lit twenty jade candles ahead of her. She had one last plan to attend her private meditation, as Shifu encouraged her to make a time of Oogway's spiritual presence. Many years had passed since the kung fu creator's farewell goodbye — Tigress would have thought of him more, despite when she saw her red panda father holding the grandmaster's wooden staff, saying to Po — _Not anymore—,_ that was when she was late to say goodbye to Oogway.

Grandmaster's tone healed her in every way Tigress listened to him. Oogway was her close adoptive grandfather. The time of herself as she was part of a young adult, was genuine, even when she had terrible days, wanting to make Shifu proud, be like him.

_No matter how _hard _you try, you'll never be Shifu. The question is: Will you be Tigress?_

The Five alpha breathed in a while, her eyelids shut. "Inner Peace." Tigress soothed her tone, humming her throat.

Her right ear began twitching, making her a soft irritation. Tigress was also perceived Shifu as he was sometimes disturbed to one of the messengers, whether good or terrible news to fill the reports. He was not always annoyed to hear them, as Tigress recalled once more. Instead of ears twitching more, Tigress let out her soothe inner peace tone she continued.

Her right ear wildly twitched, so as the _flapping_ echoes were close enough somewhere behind Tigress. "Is anyone flapping wings in here?" Tigress demanded, not wanting to grow irritation.

Behind the sliding door was the Jade Palace messenger peeking to the side.

"Oh! I'm sorry to disturb you, Master Tigress," regretted Zeng, pressuring both eyes. "I didn't know you are meditating."

The feline grinned. "I'm almost done meditating, Zeng. You don't have to wait for me to finish the zen." Tigress stood up and headed to the sliding door. "Any good or bad news, if I may ask?" she inquired, both of her paws in front clasping.

"Yes." Zeng nodded. As the messenger gestured his index feather, he and Tigress craned. "I come here to let you know _he _is near." The goose murmured.

"_He_?" Tigress confused, drawing her head back a little. Only one thought of a word _He_ closing toward Jade Palace, the feline's mind was beaming. "Yes. I know where _he_'sgoing."

The doorway creaked in vibrant as if going quietly like raindrops. In between the gaps after the gate opened, the snow leopard entered the Hall of Heroes, relieving. At every step, the nostalgia struck his heart and mind he remembered of himself being in here. The monuments. Ancient artifacts. Hero banners which warriors fought for the lands of China. His seventh step toward the jade marble floor stopped him. He was at this position, this remembrance of how he could have (almost) became the Dragon Warrior.

Standing ahead of the Great Dragon, were Oogway and Shifu smiling at him.

Tai Lung hardly sniffed that he could see this reflection. He had achieved in many ways, smirked at his masters. He made his father proud. Even after his accomplishment, Tai's lips curled downward from Oogway, who turned away from his student. Why turning away? What did Tai Lung do wrong?

He would not ever watch the past that struck Tai Lung's heart painfully. This was ever going to hunt him in his life. He wanted to know of Oogway's regards, especially his red panda father, who helped him going across the bridge where his accomplishments have built his near victory. Before the Five and Dragon Warrior, they made loyalty, love, and bold. After his long sigh, all three he once has known, crumbled into a million pieces of embers.

Tai Lung ambled toward the jade candles to the right. The old banner painting of elderly tortoise master danced and spiraled the wooden staff, once known the original creator of kung fu.

* * *

_Tai knelt to himself, struggling into the dirt. _

_The beam was all the brightest cheese, almost the shining star than the sun. The ground soil was all normal: soft wet and dry in between the two. The concrete at nowhere else sighted ahead of the leopard's chi eyes. His fur drastically beaten, his muscles stiffened and sored from fighting. His throat burnt to a horrible growl Tai Lung wanted a rematch. _

_And where is he now? In this solitude place? His face was stunning than horror Tai broke his grin, yet in agony from the fall, from the stairs, from the— the panda's butt? He shook. The surroundings were warm. The yellow dimmed to a regular glimpse of this holy land Tai Lung inaudible gasped and wondered his head. The terrains floated. Abandoned temples flew with the rest of the territories, ancient and desolation ones.  
_

_The Great Dragon examined the dirt, which to him were real and unmistakable. The water ripples dazzled with pale and yellow. It was beautiful. How did the leopard come here in this prosperous realm and lonely lands? He thought Tai would be dead by now, by _Wuxi Finger Hold._ The panda didn't kill him. He _banished _the Great Dragon. _

_The leopard's fur once stroke by the warmth chi that swam within his waving fur. Flowing on his chest, soaring among his neck and head, Tai Lung breathed in with long gasp. Most of his fur returned to normal as many bruises yet dissipated, nothing to see dark and rough sides, including small cuts from fighting. This _relief_ was something he naturally cured with such an old-fashioned remedy, similar to a small glass sphere was filled with fire, and you placed it on your skin to swell the bruise, and cast the pain away.  
_

_This _relief _was warm, and Tai Lung knelt, bridging both paws to the dirt. The yellow surroundings stopped swimming over him as he glanced up to where it was engulfing him. Ahead of the Great Dragon, was the cherry blossom tree, the leaves rustling with many whispers to his name. The reptile's hand reached out to his left. _

_It was his grandmaster who refused the leopard becoming the Dragon Warrior._

* * *

Gentle steps approached his left as well. These _steps_ were subtle and soft to Tai Lung as too well and hard to forget.

"You are _late_."

_Late?_ _She must not have known how long I was griefing to my Wing Wu._ Tai Lung shook, masking his aggression. He looked back to where the voice was natural with determination. Tigress held her breath, her chin posing at regular height. "Good evening to you too, Tigress." Tai Lung spoke, bending his muzzle.

"I didn't mean to be _rude_," she defended.

"I thought I could come here and pay my respects to Oogway."

The snow leopard glanced at the wooden pole. It perched ahead of the jade candles. "What caused his fate?" Tai Lung asked.

"He went away."

To her perspective was Shifu had told Tigress how their grandmaster's time prevailed, knowing his fate was no longer thriving to occupy Mortal Realm, despite many years of his journey passed on, thus his recognition.

The leopard's throat hummed. "Shifu didn't tell me how Oogway died," Tai Lung said, "I met Grandmaster once in the Spirit Realm."

"You did?" Tigress inquired. Her tone was quite relaxed as she had to suppress her surprising thought.

"Oogway was at the Peace Tree he meditated, once knew my presence." Tai Lung began, staring at the monument painting of Oogway balancing his strength with the wooden pole beside the peach three. "While I was in deep agony after the panda defeated me, I couldn't bear to fight against the tortoise. His brown eyes were staring at me. He sensed the pain within me — how my master declined my right to claim the scroll. He _mistakenly _rejected my future."

"Everyone makes mistakes," the feline said. The snow leopard Tai Lung turned to his shoulder, which both of them lifted his dark gray fur simultaneously.

"His mistake became worse than everyone blaming Shifu and me." Tai Lung pointed out. Under his throat was echoing his growl. Tigress's tail was swift in small ways to both sides, and her left ear twitched as she separated her both paws, her pre-fighting stance locking.

"You have no concern of me how I sought the future of Shifu, and I did," Tai Lung continued in troubled concern, palming his chest he strolled toward the feline. "He built my future as if I would never let my master down. You started from the beginning to do things like a warrior. For you to follow the path, you must do every way to achieve challenging tasks, and all you do is listen to your teacher. As you did, however, took years to heal bones that cracked, forging the accomplishments, built knowledge after reading almost a thousand scrolls, and made you stronger from excruciating pains and sores from thousands of attacks and thousands of defenses against tactical models.

"You tested in front of the wise and general's eyes, to foresee you as the next worthy of becoming a warrior, you followed your master. As usual, after you have done something proud in front of your teacher—"

The Great Dragon hesitated, his thought almost clouded Tigress could read his agitated expression.

"Go on." Tigress supported further.

Tai Lung glanced back to her, dazzling his sunlight eyes. "— the high-rank lord or a master rejected your future." He explained, his tone ripping into depression. He kept his eyes look at the feline without turning away. "Do you know what it was like when you built your future and once made your family proud, but then destroyed your creation by some rude master who implored any sportsmen to fit and rejected you because of the excuse?"

Now his tone became fierce by mistakenly raising his storming voice.

"Tai—"

"Do YOU?"

The feline's heart was now hammering from the inside — Tigress could hardly share her sympathy; she would not want to reveal - _I'm sorry_ \- look. She might have contemplated Oogway's reason, but to only grandmaster's explanation, he felt tenderness and shadows swarmed within his student's heart. "Oogway said his rejection caused everything," Tigress said with certainty. "He saw your heart, Tai. The last thing Oogway fancied, was—" she glimpsed the leopard's heart and his eyes, "— you turning against him and Shifu."

"Of course he did," he shook. "What else is there inside me?"

"The _fortunate son_," Tigress answered.

Tai Lung always heard of his adoptive father's recognition, and so did to Tigress; she attended Shifu before the rhino guards sent Tai Lung to Chorh-Gom Prison. Relieving his sigh, Tai Lung ambled toward the moon pool, and Tigress followed next to him, including every move she would have to prevent his surprise attack.

"What did Shifu do to you while I was in the void?" he asked. "He _replaced _me."

"He treated me well. The only treatment Shifu raised me after you were gone, things were — difficult."

"What?" The Great Dragon stopped and turned to Tigress with a silent glare, his pupils shrinking. "_Difficult_? Now you are giving me attention, Tigress. You are telling me, you and our father had difficulties? And why was that exactly?"

"You do not know how I _feel _after you were gone." Tigress locked on Tai Lung, her monotonous tone shattering into seriousness. "Since you were in Chorh-Gom, there was only one who I felt so loved. Every time Shifu looked at me, he forced me into hard work and did his missions."

The moon pool beside them both reflected its light ocean blue ripples, striking onto their garments and fur; Tigress pressed her lips. "I made every success for him for the sake of Oogway and Jade Palace. Shifu sometimes smirked at me when I finished training and defeated bandits. He always pushed me into difficult paths. Every mistake I've done to discipline, Shifu pushed my task harder than your training."

"He _hurt _you." Tai Lung discovered.

"Not when he could have turned back against me, Tai Lung." She snapped but refusing to reveal her mental weakness. "Shifu was never like that."

"He hurt you to get rid of every pain so you can become immobile and stronger," Tai Lung perceived, palming his chest. "So did I was hurt, and we both know Shifu made us turning to a weapon. He loved me. And Shifu _closely_ adored you."

Her chest quivered as if the feline's throat softly growled. The leopard too sensed the boldness rage. _For many years, you are still angry. _The leopard determined with a solemn glance. "Once in your life, do you always hated him? The way our father blindly treated you?"

Tigress held her stance, her tail swinging and ears flickering when Tai Lung ambled near her personal space. "_Careful_, now," Tigress silently snarled.

"I do feel what it's like not being loved! I had terrible days, even you had! Tell me I am wrong?!"

"Tai —"

"TELL ME!"

Tai Lung's fur bristled, to his facade, went irate after her thunderous shout. Both did train along with their teachers he and Tigress succeeded — the Great Dragon was once young and tall, and a young student from the Bao Gu was small and innocent. Sadly, neither of them had a better life, knowing the _difficulties _they focused on mostly kung fu, but rarely showed affection toward their masters (Oogway mainly supported both once more).

Being loved by their master was optimistic to Tai Lung, more affectionate than Tigress she attended to accomplish such challenging goals harder, making Shifu sure if his adoptive might be the chosen Dragon Warrior (neither of them was). "You are not." Tigress finally said, toning her growl down to her throat.

"Good evening, Masters."

An intelligent voice interrupted, and both warriors peeped, their jolt reactions now returning with a normal glance. The Nine's Messenger padded ahead of both Tigress and Tai Lung. "Pardon my presence. I did not mean to startle you both when I barged in, but you have left the palace doors open."

"Good evening," Tigress greeted. "Yes, we have finished this private discussion, so you are welcome."

"Forgive me, sir —?" Tai Lung asked, but Tigress filled the introduction.

"This is Kong, the Nine's Messenger from the Prosper Valley. My aunt's messenger." Tai now noted to meet the Nine's Messenger and clasped both paws behind his back. Tigress grinned and stepped in front of Kong. "What brings you here, if I may ask?" she politely inquired.

"Your nephew sent me here to inform you and Masters of Jade Palace this urgent news from the Nine."

"What _news_?" Tigress and Tai Lung determined.

* * *

_**20 Minutes Earlier**_

A small cat junk sail trekked into the river, meeting the twilight moon (which reflected its gleam of the broken glass night) it slowly sunk toward the western horizon. Indeed, it was late, as Tigress's nephew thought of the time to return to Prosper Valley. The view was such ravishing to enjoy, but as you supposed to sense your surroundings whenever trouble could always approach.

"As soon as we come home, you will practice the Nine's Vow in the morning." The white tiger said to Wolf Boss. He and the lupine perched in front of the small cat junk sail as both Nine students Fanshe and Bao behind them sat near the mast. "The knowledge you will read, it takes about a few days to know the rest of phrases."

The lupine nodded. "What can I become, Xing?" Wolf Boss asked, his only-eye glancing at the white tiger so wondering. "Is it going to be similar to your title, like my daughter's title?"

"Yes. You will get a spontaneous title, just as I found a word for you that will fit in."

"Like what?" Zhong interestingly inquired, smirking.

Xing knuckled the wolf's upper shoulder. "You'll see."

"Bao, _cookies_." The ape behind Wolf Boss and Xing hummed.

The cobra on Bao's forehead surrounding him chuckled. "Sure thing, Bao. We are almost home, big guy," the Nine's Venom promised.

"Does your gorilla student speak like that all the time, Xing?" Wolf Boss raised his eyebrow. His question was quite curious.

"Bao only calls his name, and speaks into one to three of any words." Xing clarified. "Fanshe here remembers him talking normally during Master Viper's second attack. Bao's uncle caged his nephew, and Fanshe set him free from bandits. Until all this fight went to chaos and a family problem thingy, his uncle heaved a giant log near a bank river, and whiplashed Bao's skull."

Wolf Boss cringed, palming his head behind him. "I cannot imagine how it hurts, but of course, I felt Shen's blades nearly pierced my lungs and heart."

"Worse than whiplash."

The moon above the horizon luminously stroked its crepuscular gray-blue light on their furs. The tiger deemed of the wolves as if Wolf Boss told the tale of how lupines howled - supposably calls of introduction, shares of howling signs depended on their tones, and they even while the moon was not among the heavens, Wolf Boss's bloodline followed the tree of many Whispering Warriors; they whispered while in the battle with Tenshu Army.

Zhong's daughter was part of her father's side, amazed to contemplate these Tenshu legends defeating against the Scarlet Moon demons. Before the Tournament, the trio of white tiger, albino peacock, and wolf met a soothsayer from Gongmen City; she used to sense the flow of memories, describing the blood of their souls, aside of where the trio came from in China. Lotus had the blood of Tenshu. Lord Dongji had the essence of a royal bloodline from ancient peafowls, followed by his father and many ancestors, and Xing had a blessing to defeat dark souls, and here he was.

All of China witnessed the Dragon Warrior's newest successor, who eradicated the wrath of Prince of Darkness.

The tiger's mind drifted to some curiosity, seeking both a wolf and a peacock connecting their friendship once again. On his other thought, while considering both warlords, they trekked back from northeast near a ten-mile hike of Mongolia to their home, neither of Shen and Wolf Boss had been in touch ever since both Dongji and Lady Xia fled.

"I would not like to ask you this: Zhong. Do you still blame Shen?"

The lupine glimpsed at a concern tiger. "I'm not going to be a judge and be mean, sir. I want to know that you two are still close." Xing lifted his eyebrows.

_He does have caring purposes._ Zhong thought, looking down to fill his consideration. Reflecting the albino from a child so innocent to a sinister lord who Zhong watched him in horror, the one-eyed wolf nodded. "I do not punish him for the way he hurt me, almost killed his right-handed commander," he began, eying on Xing. "He couldn't control himself when the panda and his friends were coming straight at us near the Harbor. Shen was always menacing. A bit of ill-temper, he still had, hated somebody whispering behind his back. He only felt loved a little from his parents before his parents exiled us all."

"For this _Shen,_ you are talking about him right now, he's progressing into good manners," Xing said logically. "Po's training him how not to intimidate the people, including the enemy. My aunt soon plans her training with my grandmother's adoptive son, to show him compassion and redeem Shifu's student for tearing his goal apart."

"The snow leopard guy, right?" Wolf Boss guessed, and the white tiger nodded. "Hmm. Shen and I once mentioned that guy before since our exiled days. Shen made the shell device that could shut his whole movement, but only you breathe instead."

Xing heard the device before, as Po and the Five once shared Tai Lung (however it was forbidden to know in public but only private) that while in prison, the Great Dragon bent knees and whole body forward to the stone structure, with his back engulfed with a metal shell which had multiple shots, and both arms spread wide with metal links, attached with both enormous rocks.

Glimpsing at the moon sinking into the western horizon, Xing sighed to tiredness. "What is Lotus look like when you and my daughter were small?"

The tiger easily impressed to the wolf's question, mentioning his best friend Wolf Boss had a curious impression. He could see Xing pull his grin, his eyes meeting the breaking lights down the surface.

"When Ming and I first came to Bao Gu Orphanage," Xing began, now his tone was in between monotonous and emotional, "my grandmother searched one of the orphanages who my sow teacher witnessed a girl who dashed from the dirt road and asked the child where was she running from the woods. Many orphanages were startled at the small courtyard where they stood there. What they saw was the girl who my sow teacher brought her there. A lovely, lonely, alpha wolf. Ocean eyes. Sharp teeth. Brown qipao uniform. —"His paw rotated near his left cheek. "— And cheek scratches."

"Cheek scratches?" Wolf Boss widened. His voice was inclining with sharp and rough.

"The orphans that I discovered from the goat caretaker threw some rocks at Lotus. Before they did, she wanted them to play with her," he continued. "Despite her teeth looked vicious as if not everyone went near her, orphans and caretakers retreated from her. She attacked some bullies who tried to break her arms about a week before Ming, and I arrived there; while I was at the courtyard, I was brave to go near Lotus, she was angry at me, defending herself from anyone who tried to hurt her. Of course, I am not one of those mean children who would have done torment her like they have no life to see sympathy.

"She was sobbing and bent her head to her arms on the table," Xing spoke more like the past of his and hers were fortune and bright, repeated the history since yesterday he remembered most. "I dared myself to sit beside her, not noticing what Lotus could see me. I placed my left paw behind her back, stroking her fur. While most of the orphans approached, watched me stroking your daughter, her sobbing was all quiet.

"Lotus looked up to me beside her, with dawns that shone toward mine, I told her what my grandmother and I implored the caretaker as Lotus… embraced my whole body. Her licks brushed and poured all over my face for over a thousand times what she wanted to have desperately. Orphans and caretakers saw her outside is a monster. On the inside, depression and loneliness swallowed her. Both Ming and I discern what she needs in her life."

"Love." Wolf Boss answered.

"_Love, _Zhong."

Wolf Boss's lips spread more into a fortunate sight, humming his tenderness throat. "You and your grandmother raised her so well. I commemorate you as Lotus's brother-figure, staying close to my favorite daughter. Ha! You and Lotus have deep bonds, and your grandmother mentioned you both sleeping together."

_Ming sees and hears everywhere._ Xing nodded. "Yeah. Your daughter loves resting beside me." He answered, his paws clasping ahead of his belly. A wooden sign _Welcome to Prosper Valley_, the bamboo poles held one, and the other amid this bayou had passed. "When having sleeping issues, or a nightmare, Lotus comes to my bedroom and lays in front of my chest, her head meeting my warm heart."

"Do you _love _her?"

Zhong's unbreakable question struck the white tiger hard. Xing's throat tightened back as this father's voice was half solemn, and half kind. If starting to go awkward or a little frightened ahead of his or her father you meet, noticing you genuinely care to someone, would you need to be honest? You have to.

"I mean you and my daughter together," Zhong lightly repeated his question with a clear mind.

Seconds went by as the white tiger had never felt of the wolf's voice, which flown with rime like a hammer, registered into the boy's heart and his whole spine. "With all of my heart, sir." That was Xing's straightforward answer.

Although, Wolf Boss could determine the tiger loved one wolf, and he had seen many wolves to his clan before, cherishing omegas. This was nothing wrong compare to his people; they including him cherished loved ones. "You are such honest for your good," Zhong beamed.

* * *

The Nine and Wolf Boss padded down to the cobblestone path after the boatman from the Valley of Peace sailed to where small junk boats parked — the boatman decided to rest well instead of sailing into the bayou. Ironically, it was best not to go alone in the dark.

Roaming near the palace doors, Xing heard Wolf Boss's nose sensing into the sky. "Wait." Wolf Boss patted the tiger's chest, his whole pupils shrinking. "This smell is _different_."

"The latch stayed open," Fanshe warned and pointed his tail to the lock, which one of its arms had opened, and the intricate wooden door of _The Nine_ had opened slightly. Xing gestured his signal of prep-fighting _Chin-stance_ and arms guarding forward, so the whole group did. The door creaked opened after entering the Fighting Square.

"Bao, Fanshe, check the corners and in Master Ming's room. Zhong, you follow me." Xing whispered.

Xing and Wolf Boss carefully treaded while their arms were guarding forward.

Obeying to the Nine's Leader as they told, both gorilla and cobra sneaked over the pathway into interior corridors where Master Ming occupied in the room, and so the Rice Restaurant they skulked before craning their heads to one side on each structure.

"What do you smell?"

"Revolting smell with wood and something is _stirring_ close." Wolf Boss silently growled. His nose followed the fresh trail into the grayish marble floor. The path stopped within the wooden yin-yang door with two dragons bounded to one. Xing and Wolf Boss nodded; the tiger armed his guard ready, and the wolf copied the movement. Quietly pushing the door open —

"_Sūnzi_!"

The murmuring voice was horror with tenderness feminine. It was the tiger's grandmother, jerking her grandson's whole wrist in, and Wolf Boss entered.

"Nana! What happened? Where are—?" Xing confused with his eyes brightening than the moonlight, but small steps to his left were rapid. The Nine's Doctor gasped.

"Thank the Gods! You guys are here!" The rabbit widened, her voice was solemn and unease, wanting to yell.

"Hong, what happened? Why was the entrance door outside left unlatched?"

"Xing—" Ming pressed her grandson's shoulder.

"Where is Lotus?"

Ming's other paw pressed her index against her soft lips. Toning his demanding tone down, Xing followed Ming's command. "She's safe and inside her room, Xing. You need to regard this trouble right now." She whispered. The door beside them opened as both Bao and Fanshe entered into a glance of awareness.

For a moment, the group followed the Nine's Corridor, which one room only lid in there, with a giant shadow of a big yak sitting. "Gidahn is in your room, recovering a visitor. This visitor must not be _disturbed_."

"Who is the visitor?" Xing anxiously murmured. He swam his head. "Wait a minute. Is the Emperor here?"

"If he had thousands of guards outside defending the valley, my _sūnzi,_" she glazed and slid her grandson's door open, "you _wouldn't _ask."

The question was not that stupid but was getting close to determine that Xing thought most of the Emperor's guards were special, dressed in long cloaks or eastern gold robes Huangdi called them as Emperor's Super Guards (only less than ten soldiers), vowed his/her life to protect Highness until the end of days.

This _visitor's_ numb grunt was in, sounding rough and giant — Xing's heart was hammering; he could sense the veins within him, his lips biting back. He and Ming observed the room where the candle only glared to the yak farmer's left. Gidahn glanced at both tigers; nonetheless, this yak felt Xing's silent look, the tiger collapsed his whole jaw.

It was this _visitor_ who came from one of his nightmares. It was this _visitor_ who fought many battles in the Great War Xing formerly admired the beast. A five-hundred-year-old warlord lay on Xing's bed.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_

— _**Dun Dun DUUN! Now this will be a night to remember, Bilbo Baggins once said to Gandalf the Gray. **_

— _**Regarding this dumpling challenge, how you approve or disapprove, I would have put Po's dad to prove that his son will be worthy of beating Li Shan's record to 103 dumplings. One hundred and five aren't so bad to Po's new record after defeating the panda, all right!  
**_

— _**We know a little background of Lotus's childhood, as her ideal seems familiar to our Tigress friend. Both have ironic to anticipate their beginnings as neither of them wanted to be vicious creatures — the orphans and caretakers visioned them both as dangerous creatures.  
**_

— _**That will be now for this shocking moment! Thank you all for reading! Punch a follow/favorite if you are fond of this book! Review if you have a mind of my project! And wish me luck to finish the sequel from KFP hardcore fan!**_


	8. Historic Day

_Chapter VIII: __Historic Day_

"Master Gidahn, you brought him here?!" Xing gasped.

The yak's hoof gestured. "Before you judge, Xing, your sister was the one let us bring him here," Gidahn calmed him. "There was a battle near the lake in the North, close about two miles away."

"There was?" Xing feared, meeting his grandmother's eyes before looking back to Gidahn. "Who or what attacked him?"

"Have you remember the bear in black who observed your vision, Xing?" the yak's rich voice let the tiger remind their afternoon discussion. "She was there, attacked General Kai above the rocky rainfall cliff. Your sisters and I nearly arrived in your village before we encountered the fight, as I traveled alone to meet your grandmother. Kai fell in the lake, and your sister and I saved him from drowning."

Unexpected sightseeing to Xing, he would have caused a heart attack if Kai ceased everyone he knew within this palace. But of course, how strange it was that the spirit warrior should only have normal senses, immune age, and sturdy in the mortal realm, but chi only stopped the beast. What stopped him but the chi? Xing wondered.

Every step Xing entered, the presence of harsh breath from unconscious Kai leveled the tiger's heart even worse. The bandage on the bull's left rib cage pressured, but only a speck of weak gore with threads closing the wound revealed. "Is he alive, Gidahn?" he asked, inspecting his whole fur body which plenty to his sides and above the bull's chest were bright cuts. Battle scars, the white tiger figured as his paw pressed against Kai pulse. "How bad are his injuries?"

"One of his left rib cages was plunged. Hong closed the wound, and Kai's lungs nearly filled with water, but still breathing." Gidahn reported. "Something suppressed this jade aura, Xing. When I observed his eyes, he no longer sees green."

Xing saw a crumpled, saturated gray cape resting above Kai's head in between both horns. Beside the bull's left shoulder, his battle helmet perched on top of the bamboo cabinet. "Where are his jade knives?"

"Both sunk back there in the lake waterfall," Gidahn answered.

"We are in grave danger occupying him here, Gidahn." Ming forewarned her companion. "Without his jade aura within him, he might have plenty of strong abilities."

"Where exactly did he get that power from?" Hong asked.

"He wouldn't have the Earth blessing if Kai was greed taking anyone's soul to absorb strength." Gidahn prompted.

Xing rose. "I need to speak with Lotus."

"Do not attend her, Xing," Gidahn hesitated the tiger. "She needs more time to focus her thoughts."

Wolf Boss, behind the sliding door, cleared his rough throat. "Here. Er— Let me watch over my daughter. I deserve to stay in touch with Lotus."

"Very well," Xing approved. "You can see your daughter. She should have a father and daughter thing."

Staring directly to the bull's face, fearing to soon awake, Xing fiddled his fingers. His breath was half intense and half calm before standing. "The Masters need to know, Nana. We have to warn them now," Ming's grandson urged. His tone completely startled.

"Even if you warn them, none of the masters except Po will handle General Kai's fate," Ming stated, her impression was now sagacious and horrifying. "What will you do if the Jade Palace masters are late while the Collector awakens, and claims all of our chi?"

"I'd say let him try," Xing considered. "He saw the white dragon before. If Kai attacks, then let me put an end of his surprise."

This move was not a test to prove whether Xing shall be Po's next successor, as Po thought of Xing dearly, but to Ming, she remained prose, determining her grandson's wisdom, just like his father. "Are you sure?"

A slow nod from Xing was his answer. For a moment, there was nothing to reject — Ming returned her nod. "Kong. Tell the Masters of Jade Palace: The Collector is here in the Nine's Shui Palace. The message is not a drill." Xing instructed the Nine's Messenger.

Kong saluted his feathers. "I will warn them, Master Xing."

The Nine's Messenger trotted outside and sprang off, soaring. There was no going back to announce this grave/shocking news, Xing was anxious. "Bao, Fanshe, return to your rooms. Xing, we speak privately."

Hong took Xing's place as she sat beside Kai's left side when Gidahn remained his perch. Both white tigers entered the Nine's Meeting Room; Xing's heart was still racing, his paws sparking without fisting. "Have you once said that if Oogway's brother arrives and you desired to help him manifest Kai no longer forgotten back then?"

"I do," Xing prosed. On his earlier days, he, Lotus, and Lao regarded Ming's Great War nighttime story, which passed down the tale by Oogway. Generals were such aggressive that conquering all of China by defeating the adversaries was the path to bring peace by justice. Justice was when Oogway and his passed-on masters witnessed their house Qing Temple, destroyed by Prince Huoju and the Fire Clan with the order from cantankerous Emperor Khan.

The trio admired the warlords as if Lotus cherished the Mighty, Xing reflected the Mighty's temper to dissipate harshness and ruthlessness, and Lao admired both Oogway and Kai.

"Half of China do recall him; the masters' facts will judge to banish Kai if he returns. Now that Kai has been found, his life depends on our paws to hold him from prevailing and taking China," Ming enunciated, eying on Xing. "If the Collector attacks while the Masters cannot reach here in time, I will not risk losing you, Lotus, or my students holding him off before Po and the Furious Five arrive."

The tiger's expressing of weak nod was his coherent response. "Maybe you can stop Kai, but neither our students will. The White Dragon does have possibilities than the impossible moments. Said Oogway to me, 'Nothing is impossible.'"

A particular quote, but that did not mean it was impossible. Anything is possible, Po always recalled Shifu's wise words followed by Oogway, Xing discerned the Dragon Warrior's fancy quote. "You and Gidahn will watch Kai all night before the Masters' arrival. The Nine have a day off to discuss the judgment." Ming said, patting Xing's shoulder. "I will meditate to Oogway, so if Shifu's students soon ask my presence, remind them."

More than three lucid dreams later, Xing kept his eyes open. The hours drew further. His lids casually fell; he only wanted to sleep, but this duty was not to compromise. Kai would soon awake, but what if his jade aura eyes would return? Indeed, Xing could handle him without Po's help, after all. He only stared at the unconscious beast warlord, expecting the bull's awakening.

Softly closing his heavy eyelids, Xing registered children giggles, spreading his lips full of bright.

* * *

_I say we should heal Kai when he returns! _A wolf cub clenched her fist, grinning.

_I would love to do so._ The white tiger nodded.

_You both are _ludicrous_._ Lao doubted. The young trio within this bamboo room before Xing took over his bedroom, eyed to themselves, and lay in bed, planning their "wishful tales" after contemplating Master Ming's Great War tale. The peachick disapproved. _Have you both considered Oogway's brother so agitated and being aggressiveness? _

Lotus, the young wolf, nurtured more. _Oogway knew his brother well, so our teacher's Grandmaster has a reputation than him. Can't you see our wish that if Kai returns, we'll be the first to respect his rank, and redeem the warlord! _

White tiger cub buzzed his throat. _It's not a terrible idea, but if you heard Nana by saying only a master of chi can stop Kai. So, Kai's return may never happen, Nana knows, and friends of hers do._

The young peacock prince turned from his bed toward his adoptive siblings. _If and when this Beast of Vengeance returns, are we going to be the first to bow before him and say I am your biggest "fan"? _Lao questioned. _Warlords meant aggressive, but Oogway's character is not that harm and ruthless, Nana discovered from our Grandmaster. Remember what Ming said from Oogway that Kai absorbed the panda monk's soul, something magical that could adapt the chi, making the beast go strong if defeating any master. _

Lotus hummed and rolled her head into anticipation. _Then if we all have chi someday, perhaps us three will be the first to help him! If that happens, can we promise to ourselves to bring Kai here and let us cast the jade power away from him? _

_Madness!_ Lao slammed his head on his pillow.

Xing took his sour taste while squirming his lips to undecided. _Lao is right. _

_Xing, you know who is your favorite master! Can you not deny yourself what your desire is to change the warlord's course? _Lotus learned of the tiger's good taste that he respected for these warlords, knowing every trance Xing was with them amidst battles.

_For imagination, I would like that. _

Lotus lying next to the tiger, pulled their cover when Xing blew the candle. _I'm saying in real life, would you promise? _

_I hope so._

* * *

Xing awakened his sleep with his whole legs and body recoiling. How long did he pass out furthermore? To the tiger's right arm, something laid small, and both ears drip against him. Hong was resting, giving a bend to her left. He assumed she was not the only warrior to stay up late, despite this visitor could awake and soon adapt his jade aura. Gidahn perched still beside Kai, and his hooves had spread as he meditated.

Gidahn opened his eyes. "You both looked tired," he relieved with determination voice. "Do you like some green tea to keep you awake?"

Xing bobbed a little. "Yes. Thank you." He sought the yak farmer rise, sauntering toward the shoji door. "Gidahn. Have you been staying up all night?"

Opening the sliding shoji door, Gidahn glimpsed at Xing. "I work at the wooden shop more than two shifts around morning to night, and night to morning. Do not worry, my child. He hasn't woken up yet." The yak answered before he dismissed to the right corridor.

Hong yawned. "What happened?" she asked, folding her long ears back.

"We both slept for a while. Gidahn will bring us some green tea."

"And. . . Oh." Hong could see the enormous bull, still lying in bed. The giant's sleeping breath was harsh, rumbling against the paper structures elsewhere they both caught.

"Not yet," Xing assured the Nine's Doctor.

Nodding, Hong stretched both limbs and quivered her exhaustion head. "I'll go to Gidahn."

Yet, Xing noticed the bunny's sense of intense and frightening at the same time, given that he was not the only warrior being aware of the beast. While the tiger kept his gaze on the bull soon to wake up, Hong accidentally left the sliding door open and headed into the Nine's Meeting Room, where Gidahn was boiling the pan for green tea.

Xing flickered his ears; faint steps approached, and the Nine's Dancer peeked to the side. The wolf's cheeks had drawn with silky, dry tears. "Lotus," Xing rose, and Lotus entered, embracing. "Are you okay?"

Lotus only held her breath once more but hesitated to speak plainly. The next thing the tiger glanced was Wolf Boss behind her nod to Xing. "She had a nightmare," Zhong said. Now his view darted behind the tiger. "And how is he?"

"Breathing still."

"Has the big guy awakened yet?"

"Not that I'm afraid of, right now."

A she-wolf sniffed and met the tiger. "I had to, Xing. I had to bring him here…" Lotus spoke. Her voice was tendering. "That black bear was there on the waterfall cliff last night. I didn't know who was down at the lake. Before Hong and I drew your sword, that bear went away and vanished. When Gidahn and I dove under, Kai was there, drowned, and we revived him."

"Let me grab some tea for her. Do you need some, Xing?"

"Gidahn is making tea for me, sir."

As affirmed to Wolf Boss, his walk paced, and he called the Nine's Doctor. Xing's paw pressed on Lotus' back. As both students sat without getting a single sound of wood whizzing, Lotus relieved her breaths. "Lotus, I know this will be a terrible time to let me tell you this. And this is serious to all of us. "Xing began, now tones engulfed with boldness and murmur. "You have to reconsider about this situation. We are in deep trouble here."

Lotus, within her thoughts, did admit that this discussion was far too consequential. She held her lips to let her white tiger partner whisper further. "Bringing Kai here is way too dangerous. You, me, we all know what this guy is capable of, stealing anyone's chi since his arrival ten years ago. The Nine are lucky not to encounter in front of his presence. And look at him now." His right thumb pointed at Kai. "He has returned. Whatever the cause of him not destroyed by himself with Po's chi, Huoju brought him back to the Mortal Realm."

Lotus's breath forced under her throat. "We waited for our wish, remember?" she wept, keeping her voice calm. "For you to help Kai when he is unforgiven and be in a peaceful mind from reflections of agony past. This wish is now Xing."

The white tiger shook while palming Lotus's furry paws. "I might have remembered that, Lotus. But really, the wish has ended — no longer to tolerate our sympathies to the supreme warlord." Xing said. His stone eyes glazed as he held her hands. "We were small back then, Lotus. Our brother Lao called it insanity. To both of us: desirable. Do you expect Kai to see through all the misfortune and pardon us very quickly?"

Lotus's pupils slid to the edge of her right instead of turning to her shoulder. The only fact that their Grandmaster shared his tale to both students Shifu and Ming, his bull brother was impossible to miss Kai's ruthless and robust character. One did advise the soldiers in war, so brilliant and calm, to strengthen the army without showing weakness. The other was too fierce to intimidate as of which any soldier mistakenly called their name without respective ranks; you would not like to encounter a soldier yelling in front of your head.

Lotus drifted her pupils back to Xing and shook. "I do not think so," Xing followed the wolf's head gesture. "If he wakes very soon, our lives depend on his immediate actions against us. Kai has the jade power to seize and lie our souls within his grasp."

His eyes rapidly caught a jolting movement of the hoof clenching Lotus's wrist.

Kai bent and roared his awakening. Lotus screamed, and Xing jerked her away from the bull who yelped. "We're here, Xing!" The voice was the Dragon Warrior's shout, racing down to Xing's bedroom once the white tiger and she-wolf aimed their paws of metal and sun chi at the mighty warlord.

"Dammit!" Xing glared at Kai. "It's about time!" He didn't get to see Po and Furious Five behind him. He remained his observation as he would not fall from distraction. He was the only warrior using his pure chi, only mixed with sun and snow while the rest aimed their sun hands at Kai.

Swimming his head to a cluster blankness with harsh breaths, Kai winced, bending his left rib cage, which the wound was flared worse than being stabbed. Yes, the pain was almost too impossible to shut its screaming wound, letting you cry more. His blurry vision slowly opened. To Xing, Gidahn was right only one thing many warriors remained calm: green eyes no longer glared, now his actual eye color was the brilliant ocean, like Xing's mother's eyes he would never forget.

"Where— Where am— I?" Kai grunted, whizzing his long throat. Dizzying his whole head, Kai pressed his hoof on where the wound kept stinging; the bandages massaged his palm. The tip of his tongue began registering the air, black lips spreading. "Water… Water…"

"Kong. You and every messenger bring buckets of water, and bring them here." Xing without turning uttered the Nine's Messenger.

The messenger followed the command he raced and announced to all geese outside.

"Phantom… Where is that _wupo_?" Kai weakened his demanding tone. His strength had failed, yet bulky shoulders were gripped like a whole tape around your upper chest, holding you from spreading.

Something pinched to the tiger's sleeves under and gently pulled the silk twice. "Did Kai jombie you, Xing?" Monkey behind Lotus asked.

"Hey, can you see our colleague turning green?" Crane spoke out, reaching out his wings with pure sun chi.

"Not at that very moment," Xing only answered. His tone was startled.

Listening to familiar voices within this warm, comfortable room the bull was aware of their presence, Kai towered his whole right arm and held his head to where startling sounds entered. Visions (now regular instead of surrounding green) now sharpened, and Kai met the staggering white feline with black stripes, stone-blue eyes, and cobalt silk garment, widening at him when spreading his paw with metal chi.

"You—"

Kai had only bent his body forward, but something within their eyes caught the pursuit of a pure yellow glow. The paw on Kai's belly massaged; the flow of silky gold ribbon entering the wound, and misty surroundings swimming into the bull's body. Emanating the tiger's room full of warming chi and the Dragon Warrior's awe of - _W__hoooa! - _moment, Lotus fell to her knees.

General Kai relieved and began to faint, behind his mane head slamming against the pillow. PLOP!

"Lotus!"

Her father cried out first. Panting, Lotus felt her arm and chest balance from falling; Monkey and Crane held her. Xing positioned to Kai's left rib cage and softly lifted the side of the bandage. The wound was no longer closed with strings, but only gray fur meeting the light like other battle scars.

* * *

Half an hour later, Xing and the Masters of Jade Palace were outside of the Fighting Square. There was something the tiger could not describe the reason for his wolf sister's action. His thought revealed his dream and his sister that their "imagination" plan was yet to be true. What happened to their promise when Xing and Lotus discovered the bull's return ten years ago?

Lotus's father from the Nine's Bunker door came forward to Xing and informed him that his daughter was relieved from weak strength, returning regularly. Looking at Wolf Boss head back to the barrack, the Dragon Warrior returned his glance to Xing.

"What I'm about to tell you, nephew: He attacked every master across many provinces throughout China, stolen many souls of chi," Tigress said. Her nephew would not mind to Tigress mention this Maker, who opposed the Furious Five before, especially when he and his jombies united and swarmed against the Rebellion and Fire Clan in Gongmen City. "Why bring Oogway's brother in your temple, Xing?"

"The question of yours, truly, is only Lotus will have to answer her reasonable way," Xing told his aunt. This was not his defense to let Tigress believe her nephew. He processed further when clasping both paws behind his back. "Why did she? Because there was this nonsense plan of ours, she and I used to consider Kai in our young days. There's no need for him to have Oogway's brother look forward without turning back to the terrible acts he did."

"He's no longer have jombie powers. What does that mean?" Viper wandered to Xing and Masters.

"Kai's mortal now. So we should treat him back how he did to us!" Mantis waved both thingies, and Monkey palmed his clutching fist, which popped to all fingers at once.

"That's not happening," Po shook to both Mantis and Monkey. The insect and golden snub shared their vengeful grin, but their figures dissipated.

"We're just messing," Monkey spread his hands away with guilt. "Another thought: where's Master Ming?" the golden snub asked Xing.

"She's in her room, meditating to our grandmaster Oogway," Xing answered.

Green insect bugged his eyes wide he gaped, bowing. The Masters copied the bug's glance and did the same; the white tiger followed the Dragon Warrior's view. Behind Xing when the gray clouds above them began spreading its morning silk tearing away, the dawn spotting the Fighting Square, was his grandmother standing before him.

"Master Ming!" Po announced, grinning.

The Nine's Master bobbed and closed both eyes. "I see the Dragon Warrior and Furious Five arrived in time," Ming determined.

Nodding to his grandmother, Xing perceived his aunt stepping forward at once. "Your grandson was clarifying to us clearly, Master Ming," Tigress explained. "We also counseled to him of Kai's terrible actions."

"So I see, Tigress," Ming said. She now eyed on her grandson, so determining as if her ears became a gift to hear elsewhere. Her sparkling blue eyes met Xing. "I have heard of the visitor awake earlier. How is the Maker?"

Xing rubbed his eyes. "Kai was unexpected after he woke up before Lotus healed him. He shortly fainted after that."

_Forgive me, my child, for letting you, Hong, and my companion watch over Kai all night long. I would have stayed awake and keep Oogway's brother away from you all. _Ming thought. "He needs more strength before asking questions later on," Ming advised. Her paws clasped ahead of her belly. "Grandson. May we have a word?"

"Nana," he began as if his voice was sharp from fatigue, his thumb stroking his silky forehead, "forgive my exhausted presence for rushing my head. It's better to speak publicly so the Masters will hear."

Ming stepped ahead of her grandson's personal space. "Are you sure the Masters want to hear, Xing?" Ming forewarned him cooly. He had often used to hearing his Nana's soft, solemn tone by determining every circumstantial task, mission, and news. "This conversation will flip the table as you soon know this right now."

"Flip the table?" Po repeated with wondrous expression.

The avian fuddled his feathers of "guessing" gesture. "To make you angrily react, I guess?" Crane explained.

Instead of letting his voice crawl to demand, Xing glanced back at his grandmother, who only watched him. "You spoke to Grand Master Oogway," Xing revealed into his Nana's truth eyes. He was making sure her announcement cannot be drilled, or rumors which only news expected to be true or not, but the words were only expectations instead. Choose your words carefully to bring good or bad news without a hoax.

The tiger's back was breathing cold after Ming nodded. "Yes. Oogway and I did, thank the blessings I love meeting him." Ming spread her shiny lips, chuckling. She inhaled. "This conversation is not a reunion thing between the Grandmaster of Kung Fu and me. It is a crucial quest you shall not refuse."

"Oooh! Is it the white dragon quest thingy?!" Po posed excitingly, patting Xing's shoulders like the white tiger's nose detected the aroma presence of cookies from Po's breath. "Is it the quest where my Wing Chun student shall be swift the darkness out of the cave?!"

Xing's grandmother hummed. "That, I wished Oogway could have spoken the awesomeness missions, Dragon Warrior," Ming answered as the matter-of-fact.

"You love dangerous tasks, don't you agree, Po?" Tigress asked her panda partner, slowly grinning to her side of her lips.

"Yes!" Po turned and spread both limbs ahead of the Furious Five. "Don't we all have missions to taste the defeat of bandits?"

The group bobbed, and the other half pressed their lips.

"Yeah."

"Sort of."

Crane and Mantis were the only warriors answered, with honesty as either of them bored to put an end of every bandit's tyranny. Don't we all. Xing agreed. He breathed in as Ming held her lips. "I'm not gonna like this quest, right, Nana?"

Ming fiddled her grandson's firm paw. "You must swear Oogway's vow," She worded. "Swear it, and I _will_ answer his important quest."

The Furious Five looked at themselves as if the Dragon Warrior gazed Tigress. Xing glanced at once warrior at a time before returning his view to his grandmother, his sinus breathing slow. "The Nine's Leader _swears,_" Xing pledged. "I swear it."

Nodding to her grandson when he flickered his ears, Ming walked to Po. "Oogway foresees you as the next hope of all of China, aside from the Dragon Warrior you both are." She began, meeting both of the chosen warriors. "Master Po. Lord Shen's parents seek their son's heart, soon to shine from out of the shadows. Their hearts grow warm. Make sure you let their son proud his parents."

"Will do, Master Ming!" his left paw closed to a fine oath he announced.

Ming approached Tigress, who steadied her chin so straight, her eyes training ahead of her aunt. Ming palmed and stroked her niece's golden silk shoulder. "Tigress. My angel. Have you met Shifu's son in time?" she asked.

Tigress shut her orbs with a nod. "Yes. He arrived at Jade Palace last night."

"There must always be proudness within him. Like a child, Shifu and I raised him before my best friend brought you to Jade Palace." Ming briefed. "Relief the issues of Tai Lung's rage, which the darkness within his heart continues to shade even darker. Bring him back into the light."

"As I promise."

Xing sighed in wondrous. "One did turn back against Shifu and have issues of himself soon to go mad. The other had parental affairs, especially a sickening mind to let people remember him," he fiddled his Fu Manchu underneath his chin, meeting the Dragon Warrior. "Po, if I were you, I would make sure to keep Shen remain in the course of inner peace before he decides to backstab anyone."

"Don't worry, big guy. The Furious Five and I got eyes on him and Tai Lung," He grinned, promising.

_I hope you all have. _Xing bobbed.

Ming stepped ahead of her grandson and palmed on his paws. "This quest from Oogway to you and Lotus. . . is _awkward_."

Lotus sipped her pale mug with blue paintings of mountains over it. Hot green tea steamed and stroked under her throat. Relieving her sigh, as the group inside Xing's bedroom observed General Kai doze on the bed, Lotus perched her ears. Voices of Masters of Jade Palace farewelled the Nine's Master and Leader. Sometimes in her thoughts, the way this conversation could be worse than her trouble, she would have had to tolerate other disciplines most of the students do when making some mistakes.

The Nine's Doctor pressed on Kai's upper wrist, and soft pulses pressed back against her thumb. Hong trembled her head by hearing the bull's rough breaths, which rumbled the whole bedroom's shoji-paper walls.

Firm and faint steps strode near the shoji door, and Xing opened it to the side. The whole group's eyes met him.

"I assume the conversation was on fire, right, Xing?" Wolf Boss spread his sharp teeth.

The tiger's lips pulled. "Well, not even close, Zhong. The decision is now for both me and Lotus."

A she-wolf glanced at her partner. "My cookie. What is it?"

Xing clasped his paws ahead of him. "You and I have a quest from Nana. I pledged Oogway's vow from Nana, and you must swear it to the Grandmaster as neither of us will avoid."

For a moment, Lotus pondered during her weary glance casting on elsewhere. Xing's bedroom enchanted more vibrant from Kai's muzzle; each of the Nine was pre-aiming their chi paws against the beast if he would attack. Studdering, the wolf bobbed her head once. "The Nine's Dancer _swears_."

Wolf Boss stood behind his daughter. "Okay. My girl now pledges to whatever your grandmother counseled you for that turtle's vow. If I am going to be part of the Nine, Xing, then I am with Lotus," Zhong vouched for him and Lotus.

Agreeing with this accord that should not dodge Zhong as the father-figure, Xing patted his shoulder and knelt ahead of his wolf partner whose eyes began drying. Gidahn remained his seat with Hong as if they were expecting this significance, and both Bao and Fanshe shared their concern looks. "Our wish, Lotus, has _granted,_" the Nine's Leader broke his grin.

"Granted? Granted for what?" she rolled her perplexing glance.

"Grandmaster Oogway covets us to educate his brother, redeem him from being forgotten."

"Thank the Gods!" Wolf Boss clenched the back of his mohawk head.

"I would not be standing here if I was bluffing."

_And he says true._

Zhong hardly shut his single eye, restraining his short snout because he would not want his daughter to reveal his glare in front of Xing. The ape snorted his nostrils, towering his lofty limbs on all fours. "Bao, say true," he nodded with a gruff voice.

"Xing, say true," the tiger agreed, knuckling the gorilla's top shoulder. Gidahn and Hong sought the Nine Leader turning to each student. "We are off practice for today until tomorrow. Starting now, each of us takes turns in my chamber for an hour. On nightfall, I will watch and sleep in here," he stroked Lotus's cheek, "until our student rises."

* * *

Around nightfall at the time the Nine slept in their chambers, they had tight schedules to embark on Wing Chun training more than ever, even to guard this palace on high alert. What a historic day from Xing's panda colleague! With this historical opportunity of the unfathomable appearance of General Kai, thanks to Lotus, Xing mainly masked his inner complexities. Thoughts of his were clear enough to devote to Ming's original discussion that neither of him or both Lotus and Lao could obtain the Maker's redemption. That was when the three were small with brightest eyes. By the time the pledge was unavoidable for Oogway's sake, Xing was far off to renounce this promise, but never will in the Grandmaster's eyes.

Inside the Leader's chamber, the tiger's throat began to wobble that harsh air combed with thick growls he wanted to unleash, although this day was rough, but not exactly the worst-case scenario as if this pledge was crucial. In his sleeping kimono robes, while departing from his room, Xing searched for the pillow in the Nine's visitor chamber at five bedrooms down to the left and crept toward the front door of the Nine's Barrack, not wanting to disturb the Nine's sleeping hours.

Lurking close on the Fighting Square that night flies wheezed their wings and buzzing their songs was almost too late to reject this pledge. Xing's fingers clenched both edges of the pillow, slammed on his face, bracing for dear life, and let out of his muffling roar.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_I will release a few completed chapters of The Trinity later this third - fourth quarter of the year while I am still in the middle of the book's tale, which has already mapped the beginning, middle, and ending at many chapters away. There will be a list of volumes there to a complete epic novel. _

_Earlier, I changed the book's summary that can mainly focus on the plot of our baddies and my OC's course, something to go for gripping with full of expectations. _

_Now Tai Lung, Lord Shen, and Kai are just the beginning of their clemency, another wobbles across the desert, vowing for retribution. _

_Enjoy Summer, pandoms! :)_

_7/2/2020_


	9. Exiled

**Volume One: A Visitor**

* * *

_Chapter Nine_

_Exiled_

The black bear crawled out of the bayou bank; she was swimming out, grunting. Ripples poured down underneath her. Dusk sank above the edge of the West, and behind her about two miles back, the Great Wall stood among the tree hills. The white tiger indeed followed the news from the Rebellion — Master Bear's spies followed her to where she soared across the sky.

_Damn, that little witch who cast me away!_

Phantom revolted when pressuring her left shoulder. The soul of General Kai's wife, Huoju's sister, the black bear reflected of Wugu, laid within the necklace the bull wore.

An hour passed on.

Phantom rushed into thick logs and headed Northeast—

_Where exactly am I?_

The black bear swam her head as she sauntered toward the high ground where rocky steeps towered. Climbing over the ridges, Phantom observed the land of dry and scorching terrain, stretching far down toward the endless horizon, thus lifeless mountains lying in random places. The dense clouds swarmed into North, swept slow and steady as it lightly roared among the dirt land.

A scorching sea.

Specks of sand.

Her feet warmth toward solid and soft structures she trotted. Her heart hammered as she mounted over the towering ridges, her whole veins racing.

The night was whispering its dirt specks, brooming across the land of nowhere. The bear's feet flared, now agitated as you have been walking yourself far enough. Trudging many steps, you hear her endless soil crushes with heavy thumps against a field of dry meadows. The black bear kept her limbs cross forward from bristling as if the breeze from the North swept toward her. Around most of her many paces, as she ignored how far she went, including flaring feet, Phantom luckily not encountered a few bandits. She thought of them from this exile (or a dangerous) land were lethal than the Resistance army they could murder outsiders, for those who are not welcome in this territory.

Phantom's fur began breathing cold. The night was shadowy, yet among the heavens were only gleam stars dancing. Her right claw clenched against the misty snow on edge, and Phantom heaved herself over, the pool of pale rime engulfed her whole back, cooling the bear's rough back.

Rolling to the front as her body greedily sunk the snow into the surface, Phantom raised her head. Blurry, as her view seemed to be tired and swollen. She peered what this faint glow of gray and round stood on the ridge side. There were other glows as well —

Phantom flattened her left cheek into the fluffy ice. One eye of hers now sharpened than the other, met the figure in strange furry garment hurrying down from the round tent's entrance.

* * *

_Swimming within the darkness of nothingness but warm and floating, Phantom twitched her violet eyes. Her time was not at the moment to suffer in a fancy dream she slept. Many faint shouts swirled over her. It was Phantom, so small and innocent how she glanced to the surface of herself, embracing a tiny bear figure to her face._

_One of the giants escorted her from a black bear who wailed his thick cry far down toward ridge hill. Lifted by her brown bear mother with a horror look, the child peeked the farmer who drew his ax, and five red arrows plunged his heart._

_Scuttling into one of the silver round tents, the cub's mother wildly seized a sharp metal pole from the bamboo cabinet and dove it into the exterior floor. Wild shouts stormed near as the mother kept stabbing the surface; to this child, she merely thought were men brawling while praising. Smashing the bamboo at the exact size of her daughter's waist, mother sobbed. "Whatever happens: Do not come out or crawl away from here! By the Gods, I love you, Mingling!"_

_"Momma!"_

_The child sobbed but could not resist her mother's lips blessing longer than a thousand times of kissing on the cub's forehead. The bear forced her in the hole, and the child sought her mother closing the gap, hearing chimes of enormous iron pots. The cub weakly thrust against the closed bamboo hole._

_Voices roared._

_Fast paces stormed over tents and paths, and giant steps advanced. Swords struck and swirled; the cub always caught her ears listening to these "sword spar training" as her father educated his experts. This was even more serious than sparring._

_While the cub's mother roared and slammed uninvited guests against structures, Mingling sobbed while crawling near pole units toward the tent's side. Unfamiliar chimes pivoted and pelted through conflicts - the cub peeked one of the strangers who indeed improved their persistence than her father's men._

_She could not describe a soldier with a long neck and a giant shell, pivoting her dad's warriors. Beside the stranger when whamming most of the soldiers with fire emblem (her dad's crew), she had seen every yak, so tall around her father's height. This giant was bold than the cub's family. With a double-edge pole, the bull with long horns in scathe armor bellowed, slashing other bear giants and yaks._

_She sobbed and skulked behind the silver round tent._

Mingling. Look away.

_A deep, rough voice entered. Deep inside the black bear, Mingling raised her head to where this heartbreaking tone was as she guided herself toward the dying battle. Only soldiers and the enemies in odd coats lied in the cold. She stared forward without letting her pupils meet soldiers' eyes. Tightly holding her plush toy, Mingling scampered toward the clearing and into the tall, snowy mountains. Snow raged against her._

_Ahead of Mingling, the hollow had its mouth of darkness perched by, and Mingling rushed her stroll into the cave. After entering, the screams of snow faded as she went on, farther and farther until the bellow stopped. Light torches hung to her side and stretched across multiple tunnels in front. Cozy surrounded, and far down the tunnels, metallic metals chirped. She assumed that there were people from survivors from her abandoned village or strangers she never met or mentioned before._

_Ambling within, she sobbed while lost. The torch caught the shadows of four forms, echoing their demands of what they heard. Spawning to one side, as Mingling gasped, they weren't survivors from her village. Dressed in midnight winter deels, boots, and intricate gray patterns of dragon-like fires, they glanced at themselves in confusion. She could not picture of whom these strangers from, or their banners — whether they fight for China or freedom, Mingling was part of neither._

_Swallowing hard from sobbing, the black bear darted her eyes on these strangers, her cloudy thoughts swarming to demand if they were enemies or not. A tall buffalo in the middle of the group, a leader with downward horns, drew his pointy dagger._

_A loud, swirl fire from behind the bandits stormed down, and Mingling screamed, skulking to the side as these bandits shut their screams. Thuds and slices splattered. Heat by dark clouds was warm and threatening when getting close to the fire, as the child armed over her eyes, sobbing._

_Momentarily, she thought her time had concluded, even when her parents were long gone, slaughtered, or not. Reflecting on her mother, who was the gardener, and her father became a burdener, her intellect shrunk into nothingness._

_Looking away as far as she could, the fire brightened closer to where she was, with big steps approaching before crouching. A hoof from the light, Mingling peeked her tear eye, reached forward. The face was menacing and calmed the way this poor little child glanced on and so praised. His eyes color around iris matched to his fire sword. The warrior's face had a faded scar from underneath his left eye through the middle of his black nostril._

* * *

Both of her ears registered the music of thin showers impacting above the gray tent ceiling. It was too good to be resting. The tent's door, her right eye peeked when slowly positioning to where she could see. The horizon where rime mountains towered beside it, tinged within the depths of the ocean's deep color. Immersible, the bear quite imagined how long she was in a trance, conceivably pleased to see her champion.

This tent was part of her sanctuary when living in the outskirts, away from China — fortune to her residing in someone's house. Many said by meeting toward the outskirts was when you are banished - possibly committed treason with high levels of crime. The Emperor of China sentenced with possible choices for criminals to live: Exile from China or occupy with other prisoners by only constructing every brick placing the next block. By building lengthy boundaries whereas the Great Wall stood in whole northern borders.

Phantom's taste of exile persisted to loathsome. She never meant to soar across the boundary from where Kai's necklace cast her was to a mile of Great Wall at the North.

Instead of loathsomeness living in banishment, the aroma presence of nostalgia made her instant recall living within her familiar place. A pleasant smell of soy sauce engulfed, thus the black pan soft boiling water. Behind the figure was corsac fox. The Mongolian villager, robed in midnight winter vest with tufts, intricate silver square lines on drape shoulders.

A snow canine with tinge gray ears and brown-green iris turned and sat ahead of her.

"Are you alright, my Lady?"

The voice was tender, blended with rocky tone breath. To the black bear, figuring this soldier was aware, filled with care and loyalty, Mingling reflected canine's mind.

_Curse that beloved sister who cast me away._

The bear and fox perched ahead of the firepit that engulfed dying embers, and woods harshly muttered to its crackling bones. Using his wooden pole, the fox spread tiny logs as the fire inhaled the cold air naturally. Phantom clutched the snow sheet in between her chest, glancing the fire embers.

This occupation moment was the opposite of seeing this black bear mourn and weak. Nevertheless, the fox immediately recalled one of his vital pieces of training he and Phantom educated. Not only for survivability to him, being a fox to skulk behind, and advance against dangerous paths, but to rank with leaderships and believing in triumphs. His mentor, a long-time companion, was rightfully relished her apprentice and other students of the snow fox's.

"You seek the only fox who had his group of canines, lost half of his men after they, including their leader, submitted to the Emperor of China." The Mongolian fox went on. "Huangdi sent most of them to those borders, highly guarded by Resistance armies." The black bear bore her clay mug of hot tea, sipping while her whole fur trembled. "You looked terrible back there. I was anxious to lose you, Master. Luckily, my strong men and I guided you in here. You were out for at least a day."

"**I am grateful you have given me your comfortable place to rest**." Phantom tugged the snow blanket close to her chest. Her voice was tendering, restoring her deathly boldness tone.

"My lady. I stashed your battle armor to the Blacksmith about five house shelters down to your right." The fox patted the bear's silky shoulder. "Your scathes are redeemable to re-design shapes and the looks of your preference - something you should dress as our Prince Huoju would have relished. As planned for your six hundred and sixtieth birthday -" the fox handed the concept design paper to Mingling, "the Prince of Darkness could have given you this as your present."

The black bear observed the scroll of final armory progress. It was the diagram of a full-body, dressed with drapes in a neat scathe of dark violet fire chest. Round-spike shoulders, which adjusted the bear's height of her head, and outer linings, matched her eye-color of purple.

A clawless grip had modified with a shiny black hook, viciously average around another claw of Phantom's paw. Mingling palmed her quivering lips. One of the fox's soldiers announced outside of the front door. "I'll leave you here, my lady." The fox brushed Mingling's shoulder and left.

Both of Mingling's eyes traced her silky drops. Her tears impacted the scroll toward the face of the enormous Prince of Darkness below the final armory progress.

* * *

_At a young warrior, Mingling stood aside from his teacher who surveyed other soldiers - young adults in training robes of black and red belts. The black bear's turn was the time when she faced her adversary, a cunning red-orange vixen. Even facing against a small opponent, any size as the Prince of Darkness commanded his students did not matter._

_Mingling pawed her fierce claws as if the vixen spun under her opponent's feet, soaring and almost clouted her foot near Mingling's head to the side. The bear bowled to one side while vixen wildly hammered her feet; she elbowed her muzzle._

_Retreating after vixen inspected her warm clot from the muzzle, she roared. The fox sprung and clobbered her feet ahead of Mingling's arms, guarded above the bear's head. Exposing the bear's defensive limbs, vixen battered her paws toward ribcages. As unpredictable to control balance was when Mingling wobbled severely, vixen grasped her whole right arm and swept her front foot forward._

_The Prince of Darkness crossed his arms, observing one of her valuable students. Regarding this spar, Huoju would see only half of his students be vital. The other half might fail to prove themselves worthy. He speculated his bear student how a mysterious teacher from the Prince's side had the assumption that she would reckon to be Huoju's right-hand ally._

_Mingling rose, dodging as the vixen walloped her left foot blow onto the robust platform. Gasping in awe from her opponent who taunted with horridness, the black bear curled her lips downward. The vixen made her sudden move, scurrying and -_

_Mingling's opponent chortled and fell forward. The Prince of Darkness unfolded his limbs, bizarrely widening at the scene of this smothering fox who clenched her throat. Many students rose in confusion. Their eyes heeded at the other; one of the students gasped._

_As seen toward the black bear's eyes no longer colored her original eyes of dawn, her orbs of violet iris glared down to vixen. Most of the students endured their position without interfering with their teammates. Giving a scowling look, Mingling ignored their shouts, satisfying to eye on her odious vixen who tortured the bear thousand times worse. Each of vixen's smothering breath, her red tears dripped on her cheeks._

_Mingling huffed and jerked her head; vixen bent her back forward. Her neck revealed dark blue bruises as she held her throat while the other reached her paw mercy._

_The bear's shoulder weighted down to sudden relief. Huoju's hoof palmed her first, and vixen unleashed her breath, coughing and crashing her body to the ground. "**Send Lingling to the doctor. You're dismissed, all of you.**" The Prince's harsh tone declared. As advised to do so, students supported vixen Liming, departing their way from both Huoju and Mingling. The bovine eyed on his student. "**You must control your mind, my **_**yuèliàng**_**.**"_

_"What did I do wrong?" Mingling sobbed._

_"**You nearly murdered your vixen partner**," Huoju answered._

_She turned to the bovine. "I _hate _her! She tried to slit my throat before the trial!"_

_"**Then, there will be sympathy between you both after Lingling's recovery.**" He eyed on Mingling's forearms, which bruised with damaged fur, brushing her injury. "**Did she hurt you?**"_

_She hardly tried not to give a flinch or a mean look to her teacher. "I warned her not to oppose me."_

_"**What I meant was Lingling plunging her knife toward you**."_

_"She _cannot _hurt me," she shook._

_"**As understandable you seek revenge, there is no such thing to you and Lingling clawing at your throats**," Huoju added. "**Apart from intimidating yourselves, you and all students attend your necessity to each other. This Great War is inevitable, and Oogway's Rebellion will expose my battalion's weakness.**"_

_Huoju's hooves glared into soft embers where the bear's injuries had dissipated. This burn did not twitch Mingling as she shut her lips, facing her feet. "T**he scroll you were not supposed to scrutinize in my library chose you on that purpose. My Master seeks triumph to us both,**" Huoju bent his knees, fiddling Mingling's silky claws. "**If his concept is essential to fulfilling our destinies, then I crave you to be on my side. Be my wupo. Be my moon.**"_

* * *

Be my moon.

By the time she had awakened from myth memories, she would have desired to be in the past instead of seeing her partner vanquished. Indeed, she was vulnerable before the trial. With her thumb stroking a thin paper of the bovine face, Mingling's tears slipped through her cheeks.

"Whenever you are ready, Master."

The bear heard her student's presence before waking herself in eternity. Instead of exposing her weak feelings toward her servants, Mingling returned her aggravation pose. Ready, indeed.

Inside the Blacksmith's tent, four foxes towered beside the bear. They adjusted every armor plate Phantom dressed while she spread her limbs apart. The white fox only watched how her armor applied to her whole body. The soldiers carefully tightened strings to close up other scathe plates.

An elder white fox with his muzzle wrinkles and pale cinnamon eyes, he bore the cap with a silver hook that fitted Mingling's clawless wrist. Indicated to be precise and elegant rather than messy, the Blacksmith measured her whole left claw and wrist before advancing these soldiers to dress her new battle armor.

Observing her new "hand" with a sharp tip, Mingling gave a taste of liking the cap's sides that said, "My sun." These words referenced her partner, who made the bear in black as vicious Lady of Shadows, raised her as the bear's affection.

"Where will you go, my lady?" asked her loyal companion.

"**For now, the path of mine leads to seeking justice. Enemies will see the truth to where my only triumph warrior was dead. Judgment to find my Master's killer who destroyed my world — my Huoju. I loved him because he was my champion. I slept with him because nightmares dissipated its existence. I cared for him because he treated me well from abusive —**" she clenched her claw, "**— cowards. His father's enemies rebelled against him without surrender.**"

Many foxes hesitated their muscles, revealing their heads they pulled away; some shivered, and others trembling their fingers. The bear in black proceeded. "**When I return to China, for those who faced the wrath and against the Prince of Darkness, I shall drag everything they cared. To know what is like how that mortal bastard took my love away. They _will_ experience the witch who can rip their hearts in pieces.**"

"Perhaps, my lady, retaliation does spark with fire. Let's say you as the fire, scorch everywhere you go as the unstoppable warrior," the white fox determined. He fiddled his fingers ahead of his belly as he bent his head to one side curiously. "What about water? Waters flow and slam against fire, but with the steam builds bloodshed. You suggest vengeance is good, but that does not mean revenge will bring — Huoju back."

"**Perhaps. And perhaps not,**" Mingling was certain.

The bear's servant hummed. "What will you do now?" he wandered with such care and honesty.

"**My partner had always spoken to me when building a great army. Not as always difficult to convince these barbarians, thieves, or gangs to unite and become the unstoppable force.**"

One of the servant's students gestured; only half of them nodded to their Master, and the servant whistled his command. Dismissing many students, the fox approached as the black bear rotated to see her armor and herself. "**How do I look to you?**"

The fox and black bear looked at the bronze mirror of themselves, which copied their movements and identical forms of their garments. Phantom's student spread his lips wide enough. He clasped Mingling's claw. "You are Prince Huoju's _queen_, my master."

"**May the Gods of yours _bless_ your heart.**"

The fox and black bear departed from the tent, sauntering amid the snowy plain hill of twelve gray tents perching on all sides. Conceivably, as the black bear thought of the nostalgia land of Mongolia, some of the paths laid these fire camps, some with iron pans hanging above the fire using its hooks.

Residents - snow fox's soldiers - on both sides of the path, bent their heads. "My lady." Each of them titled the bear, respectively.

The snow around the fox and black bear were gentle, rather than from yesterday's gale that Phantom reminisced her journey. With a clear view, mountains peeked as the rime above ridges carried winds. The amid of every mountain lay its river clouds, falling from heaven.

"**There is this precious piece I crave to salvage in Mongolia. Before I find it, there will be _occasions_ to address a Khan warrior, requiring his army to trek toward the South.**" Mingling said, clasping claws behind her back. "**Without a command, I am _useless_, even when some enemies might have swords that blessed from the sky. A falling star from the realms brought a blessing metal that can slaughter my servants, Huoju's people, and Lord Commander's army.**"

"You are not the only one here aware of the metal presence, Master," the fox replied. "The blessing blade that casts _five times sharper_ than regular swords can rip us all in dissipation."

The snow fox ceased to a halt, eying on Mingling's solar red eyes. "You will need men, strong and quick, and silent as the wind if we are heading down to the Great Wall."

"**Forgive me asking my intrigues to your gratitude and devotion. What is your _ambition_ again?**"

The bear turned to her loyal student. To the student, he pondered if this question was yet to be a test. Sometimes a few masters' minds might have forgotten to approve his/her student's tasks. "The fox deserves an allegiance to your side. The fox foresees the picture of guidance."

"_**Leadership**_," the bear figured, as her warmth, pale breath stroked ahead of the canine. "**You have your persistence to become an alpha fox who shall _outrun_ the wolf.**"

Not for long, their ears registered the wind that repeated its sturdy flaps across the snow hill country. Among the rime horizon of Mongolia as the clouds shed apart and revealed the sun, which beaming down to where both warlords were, spotted a black condor soaring down.

The messenger spread his snow tattoo wings to a halt, his talons widening his sharp gray nails as he cawed. Landing in front of the two, the condor messenger bowed his head with his wings bent. "Good day, Lieutenant Fèngxiàn," announced the green-eyes condor messenger. "I bring a message from Khan's successor. He invites you and Mingling to his mountain yurts, around the two-day hike."

The black bear steadied her chin before glancing at her student in determination. The fox's back became bristled as he owed her plenty of answers. "While you were resting, my lady, I urged my messenger to notify your long-time companion that you are here in Mongolia. Your companion seems soft and truly respective to Prince Huoju's Commander." Fengxian grinned.

Returning her pose toward the hawk messenger, Mingling pulled her grin. "**This successor of Khan's, who wishes to invite us, is admirable to recall his colleague. Inform Khan's successor: _An old companion of his will arrive there soon._**"

"As your command, my Lady," the hawk messenger bowed and soared away in a fierce glide.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_There will be plenty of elements of Mongolia as I am interested in their clothing, tribes, weapons, and their Khan. __There's likely going to be some historical events during the early thirteenth century by the time there were three dynasties (Western Xia, Jin, and Song) in China. With fictional purposes, thus interest in Genghis Khan, I only write what I envision of The Mightiest Warriors Series, likely adventures wherever the gang and my OCs travel. _

_I hope y'all look forward to seeing Phantom's __journey embarking a small start to regain her resilience!_

_7/5/2020_


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